In Richmond, VA, 6-year-old Matthew Logan Johnson was mauled to death on January 24, 2007, by two of seven Rottweilers owned by his parents. The dogs that killed the boy were newly adopted only days before.
In Brewton, Alabama, on January 29, 2007, 18-month-old Taylor Kitlica was killed on her front lawn by a Rottweiler that her parents had found and chained there, hoping that its owner would retrieve it.
What strikes me about these two deaths is that in both cases the victims were little children, they were killed at their own homes, their parents were not watching as the kids approached the dogs, and the dogs themselves were new to the households.
I wonder how parents can take in new dogs that are known to be the number one canine killers of people, and not keep their kids away from them?
Upon close examination, canine homicides often tell us as much about people and negligence, as they do about breeds and viciousness. These deaths, as well as many other dog attacks, illustrate why I, as a chief advocate for dog bite victims, oppose breed specific laws. The dog bite epidemic has neither one simple cause, nor one simple cure.
3 Adopted Rottweilers Kill 2 Children
