Pablo Lopez aka Pablo Hernandez, 5, of Hidalgo County, Texas, was mauled to death by a pit bull on June 18, 2008. Child protective services had placed the boy in a home with two pit bulls. At the time of death, the only adult in the house was a babysitter. The pit bulls became excited, the babysitter called out for help, and a young adult male went to the house to try to calm them. However, one of the dogs grabbed the 5-year-old by the throat and crushed it for more than 20 seconds as the boy was screaming. Death was immediate. This happened in the back yard of the house. (Click here for the article.)
I have created a Dog Attack Danger Scale based on the most common features of the worst dog attacks. The scale is on the home page of Dog Bite Law (see the link at the top of this screen). Three of the five danger factors were present in this case: (1) more than one dog in their own yard, and no master present, (2) Pit bull, Rottweiler, Akita or Chow, and (3) pack mentality because more than one dog was present. The presence of even one of the factors on the scale is a warning of danger. You should memorize the scale and teach it to your family.
