Woman Dies After Dog Attack In Davie County
WFMY News 2 Staff –
COOLEEMEE, N.C. – The Davie County Sheriff’s Office said a woman has died from her injuries after being attacked by a dog.
Davie County Sheriff A.C. Stokes said the attack happened just before 7:00 p.m. on Monday as the woman was checking her mailbox. A neighbor heard the woman yelling and found her in the yard before calling for help. A second neighbor was also bitten by the dog but their condition is unknown. A police officer shot and killed the dog as it was still acting aggressively after they arrived on scene.
Deputies investigating fatal dog attack in Davie County
POSTED 9:36 PM, AUGUST 24, 2015, BY PAUL CHOATE, UPDATED AT 05:45AM, AUGUST 25, 2015
The incident happened at about 7 p.m. Monday at 235 Clark Road near Cooleemee.
According to Davie County Sheriff Andy Stokes, a woman in her 40s was killed in the dog attack. Another woman was attacked and taken to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. Her condition is unknown.
New details emerge in deadly Davie County dog attack, woman retrieving mail when attacked
POSTED 10:31 AM, AUGUST 25, 2015, BY MICHAEL HENNESSEY, UPDATED AT 05:05PM, AUGUST 25, 2015
DAVIE COUNTY, N.C. — The dog who killed a Davie County woman Monday night near Cooleemee had a history of attacking other dogs and going through people’s trash — but had no history of attacking humans, authorities said.
The dog, a pit bull named Patch, had been declared a “nuisance animal” from a previous incident in May 2015, when the dog left the owner’s property and got into a fight with another dog. The owner, Latisha Young, of 249 Clark Road, was charged with failure to have her dog vaccinated for rabies.
Young usually kept the dog in her home but on Monday a storm rolled through the Cooleemee area. Davie County Sheriff Andy Stokes said that may have riled the dog and caused it to escape from home through a window while Young was not at home.
1 killed, 1 hurt after pit bull attack in NC
Published:
MOCKSVILLE, N.C. (WNCN) – The Davie County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after a woman was attacked and killed by a dog and a second woman was injured Monday night.
At around 7 p.m. Monday, the Davie County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to 243 Clark Road. Deputies had reports of a person down in the yard and a second victim being attacked by a dog.
Deputies requested assistance from the Cooleemee Police Department. An officer arrived on scene and found a dog attacking a woman. The officer shot the dog and the dog stepped away from the woman. The officer shot the dog a second time and first aid was provided to the victim.
Officers also discovered a deceased female who was identified as 48-year-old Cathy Wheatcraft of 243 Clark Road in Mocksville.
The second woman who was attacked was identified as 31-year-old Sheena Truesdale of 230 Clark Road.
The sheriff’s office said the animal in the attack is dead. The dog was identified as a pit bull belonging to Latisha Young of 249 Clark Road.
2015 Dog Bite Fatality: Pit Bull Kills Woman, Injures Another in Davie County, North Carolina
DogsBite.org reports
The fatal attack of Cathy Wheatcraft marks the third pit bull fatality in this region since early July. On Saturday, in upstate South Carolina, 25-year old Nicole Cartee was killed by her family pit bull named “Spike” in Spartanburg. The dog had been with her family for over a decade. On July 7, Joshua Strother, 6-years old, was killed by his neighbor’s pit bull in Hendersonville, North Carolina. The pit bull that killed Joshua was rehomed by the Asheville Humane Society 3-weeks earlier.
The Onslaught Continues
Today, over in Greenville County, South Carolina — also in this same region — a female deputy shot and killed a pit bull that was attacking two women. The pit bull had nearly severed one of the woman’s arms before the deputy arrived. After shooting the dog, she applied a tourniquet to the woman’s upper arm and her leg. Master Deputy Jonathan Smith said, “She saved the lives of two people because the injuries were so severe.” The dog had been residing with one of the victims.
A neighbor who heard the woman screaming ran to help and discovered her in the yard — the person then called emergency responders. Another neighbor also came to help and was attacked by the dog. She was transported to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. Her medical condition is unknown. Sheriff Stokes said it was the neighbor’s pit bull that killed the woman. The news report video on WXII states that they spoke to the dog’s owner who said her “pit bull killed a woman.”
View the DogsBite.org Google Map: North Carolina Fatal Pit Bull Maulings.American Pit Bull Terrier
The American Pit Bull Terrier has a history and bloodline deep rooted in the blood sports of animal baiting and dogfighting. As with all breeds, they retain their original traits. They often to do not accept other animals, especially dogs, and can be extremely aggressive towards them. They may accept animals they are raised with, but have been known to kill other family pets even after years of living together happily.
Most APBT puppies get along fantastically with other animals, including dogs. Puppies often love to play with and have companionship with other animals. This often gives owners a false sense of security. As the APBT matures, their relationship with other animals can change drastically. Often dog aggression issues emerge from 1-3 years in age, but some dog’s exhibit aggression as early as 6 months of age. They often will actively seek out other dogs to engage in fighting with and have broken their collars, crashed through windows, and torn through fences to do so, and one recently leaped from an apartment 2nd story balcony, to get to a dog. They can get along with other dogs at times, but things can escalate quickly and they can attack suddenly and for no apparent reason. They often redirect onto humans who try to break up the fight14. Extreme caution should be used with all animal interactions and owners should never be completely comfortable. They can be unpredictable and a dog that plays nicely with dogs for years can suddenly change. Many owners have been shocked to see their beloved pet’s fighting instincts suddenly surface. It is highly recommended that the APBT is separated from other animals in the household when they cannot be supervised15. This is not a breed that is suitable for interactions at off leash dog parks16.
Click here to read more about the American Pit Bull Terrier
2015 Dog Bite Related Fatalities in the U.S.
Updated after each fatality following fact finding research on Protect Children From Pit Bulls & Other Dangerous Dogs on Facebook
35 Dog Bite Related Fatality
by Breed.
27 by Pit Bull/Pit Bull Mix
2 by Rottweiler
1 by Golden/mixed breed
1 by American bulldog, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Labrador mix
4 Unknown/Pending
By Age :
14 Children
22 Adult
By State :
NM – 1 death
MD – 1 death
FL – 3 death
IA – 1 death
AR – 1 death
PA – 1 death
W. VA – 1 death
TX – 5 death
SD – 1 death
AR – 1 death
GA – 1 death
NV – 1 death
IL – 1 death
OK – 3 death
NC – 2 death
OH – 1 death
SC – 1 death
AL – 1 death
CA – 3 death
WV – 1 death
NY – 2 death
TN – 1 death
MI – 2 death
Names and ages of the deceased:
Unidentified Native American – about 40 y,o. – Gallup, NM – Pack of Feral Dogs [1.2.15]
Eugene W. Smith – 87- Frederick, MD – 1 Pit Bull [1.7.15]
Declin Moss – 18 months – Brooksville, FL – 2 Pit Bulls [1.19.15]
Malaki Mildward – 7yrs old – College Springs, IA – 2 Pit Bull/Bull Dog Mix [1.22.15]
Fredrick Crutchfield – 63 yrs old – Johnson county, AR – Pit Bull [ 2.4.15]
TayLynn DeVaughn – 2 yrs old – Pittsburgh, PA – Pit Bull [2.22.15]
Roy Higgenbotham – 62 yrs old – WHEELING, W.Va. – Pit Bull [3.8.15]
Betty Wood – 78 yrs old – SULPHUR SPRINGS, TX – Rottweiler [3.12.15]
Julia Charging Whirlwind – 49 yrs old – WHITE RIVER, SD – Pending [3.14.15]
Detrick Johnson – 36 yrs old – JEFFERSON COUNTY, AR – 7 Pit Bulls [3.21.15]
Neta Lee Adams – 81 yrs old – WASHINGTON, GA – Pending [3.31.15]
Kenneth Ford – 79 yrs old – NYE COUNTY, NV – Pit Bulls [4.14.15]
Brayden Wilson – 2 months old – Dallas, TX – Pit Bull [4.19.15]
Gaege Anthony Ramirez – 7 yrs old – NEW BRAUNFELS, TX – Pending [5.2.15]
James W. Nevils III – 5 yrs old – Chicago, IL – Pit Bull – [5.25.15]
Jordon Tyson Collins – 3 yrs old – Lawton, OK – Pit Bull – [6.28.15]
Norberto Legarda – 83 yrs old – Pecos, TX – Pit Bulls – [7.2.15]
Joshua Phillip Strother – 6 yrs old – Hendersonville, NC – Pit Bull – [7.7.15]
Annie L. Williams – 71 yrs old – Shaker Heights, OH – Pit Bull – [7.12.15]
Carolyn Lamp – 67 yrs old – COWETA, Ok – 3 Pit Bull/1 Rottweiler – [7.24.15]
Porsche Nicole Cartee – 25 yrs old – SPARTANBURG, SC – Pit Bull – [8.22.15]
Cathy Wheatcraft – 48 yrs old – DAVIE COUNTY, N.C. – Pit Bull – [8.24.15]
Barbara McCormick – 65 yrs old – Autauga County , AL – Golden/Mix – [8.2.15]
Emilio Rios Sr – 65 yrs old – Riverside County, CA. Pit Bulls – [8.8.15]
Carmen Reigada – 91 yrs old – Miami, FL. – American bulldog,Rhodesian Ridgeback, Labrador mix – [9.22.15]
Lamarkus Hakeem Hicks – 2 yrs old – Martinsburg, WV – Pit Bull – [9.28.15]
Edgar Brown – 60 yrs old – OKLAHOMA CITY, OK. – Pit Bulls – [10.16.15]
Tanner Smith – 5 yrs old – Vidor, TX – Pit Bulls – [10.19.15]
Amiyah Dunston – 9 yrs old – Elmont, NY – Pit Bull – [11.8.15]
Anthony Riggs – 57 yrs old – Madison County ,TN – Rottweiler – [11.12.15]
Carter Hartle – 11 months old – MARSHALL, NY – Pit Bull – [11.15.15]
Xavier Strickland – 4 yrs old – Detroit, MI – Pit Bulls – [12.2.15]
Rebecca Lillian-Kay Hardy – 22 yrs old – Port Huron, MI – Pit Bull, Husky-mix – [12.3.15]
Maria Torres – 57 yrs old – Gridley, CA – Pit Bulls – [12.16.15]
Nyjah Espinosa – 2 yrs old – Miami-Dade, Fl – Pit Bull Type (American Bulldog) – [12.20.15]
On average in 2015 someone was killed by a pit bull every 13 days. Some of these pit bull attacks were from the family dog that was well trained and had never shown signs of aggression before. The only common factor in these severe and often fatal attacks is not abuse or lack of training, it is breed. Choose the breed of dog you trust the lives of your loved ones with wisely.