Thomas Vick - 64-years old | Bullhead City, AZ (12/29/13) DBRF #32

Tom Vick Sr. pictured with his daughter, Lauren Stanley, in undated photo.

DogsBite.org reports

Monday, December 30, 2013

2013 Dog Bite Fatality: High School Teacher Dies After
Dog Attack, Former Mayor Seriously Injured

Clarifications
UPDATE 12/30/13: The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that five family dogs that killed Tom Vick and seriously injured his wife will be euthanized. Former mayor Diane Vick asked that all five dogs be “put down,” according to Bullhead City Police Capt. Tad Appleby. The couple was home alone with their six dogs on Sunday evening when a 40-pound shepherd attacked a 14-pound cocker spaniel, Appleby said. A boxer named Dempsey and three boxer-mixes joined the fight.

“It culminated in a big dog fight. All six animals got involved.” -Capt. Appleby

The two were taken to Western Arizona Regional Medical Center after suffering multiple dog bites and lacerations. Vick died at the hospital, possibly from bleeding to death from a cut to his femoral artery, Appleby said. Investigators believe that Dempsey inflicted the fatal injury, he said. An autopsy will determine his cause of death. Diane Vick was flown to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center in Las Vegas. A hospital spokeswoman said that she was in good condition Monday.

The couple’s sixth dog, the cocker spaniel, died from injuries it suffered during the dog fight.

Related video

12/30/13: Conflicting News Reports
Conflicting news reports were published today, along with new information. The conflicts include the attacking dog being called a pit bull and a shepherd, depending upon the news source, the latter according to Bullhead City Police Capt. Tad Appleby. New information disclosed includes that there were up to 6 dogs in the couple’s home and that the cocker spaniel died of injuries from the dog fight. The animals are currently being held at the Bullhead City Animal Control facility.

12/29/13: Mayor Talks to Media
The current mayor of Bullhead City, Mayor Jack Hakim, has spoken to the news media about the most recent U.S. fatal dog mauling (ironically, Hakim’s Facebook cover photo depicts himself being licked by a boxer). Tom Vick, 64, and his wife, former Mayor Diane Vick, 65, tried to intervene after one of their larger dogs attacked one of their smaller dogs, but the pet dogs turned on the couple, fatally injuring Vick and seriously injuring his wife, according to Mayor Hakim.

Tom Vick Sr. died of his injuries Sunday morning, Hakim said. The incident is “pretty devastating,” he said. “We’ve had dog bites before but never something like this,” he said. “It’s very sad for us in Bullhead City. She was a former mayor and he was a prominent high school teacher at Mohave High School … We’re just grateful that at least one of them was able to survive,” Hakim said. Statements from police indicate that only the larger family dog, the boxer, attacked the couple.

2005 to 2012 Fatal Boxer Attacks

During the 8-year period of 2005 to 2012, boxers were involved in 5 dog attacks that resulted in human death. Two of these cases involved killing adults, Pablo Fleites, 56-years old of Miami-Dade County, Florida (2006) and Karen Gillespie, 53-years old of Hardin County, Kentucky (2009). A “boxer-mix” was also involved in the pack attack death of Rebecca Carey, 23-years old of DeKalb County, Georgia (2012). During this same period, pit bulls killed 151 Americans.

12/29/31: Man Dies After Dog Attack
An Associated Press article confirms that a Bullhead City man died from injuries suffered when he and his wife, a former Bullhead City mayor, tried to break up a fight between two of their pet dogs. The Bullhead City Police Department said that Thomas J. Vick, 64-years old, died from his injuries after being brought to a hospital. Police said that the couple tried to break up a fight between the family’s boxer and cocker spaniel on Saturday evening. Both were attacked by the pet boxer.1

12/29/13: Teacher Killed in Dog Attack
Bullhead City, AZ – In a developing story, the Mohave Valley Daily News reported on their Facebook Page today that Mohave High School teacher, Tom Vick Sr., was killed late Saturday afternoon following a dog fight at his residence. His wife and former Bullhead City Mayor, Diane Vick, was also injured and is currently in ICU, according to the Facebook post. Subsequent updates announced in comments by the Mohave Valley Daily News include the following:

Mohave Valley Daily News According to the police department, Vick and his wife were attempting to break up a dog fight between their two dogs when one of the dogs turned on them both. Vick succumbed to his injuries at Western Arizona Regional Medical Center and Diane was airlifted to a hospital in Las Vegas where she is currently listed in stable condition in the ICU.
Mohave Valley Daily News Justin Brown as of right now they are being housed at the Bullhead City Animal Control. The dog that reportedly attacked the Vick’s was a Boxer.

1Remember that “boxer-mix” is commonly used to disguise the pit bull breed.

Labels: 2013 Dog Bite Fatality, Arizona, Facebook, school teacher

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-Arizona man fatally mauled by dog was a teacher

-Former mayor of Arizona town hurt, husband killed in dog attack

-Thomas Vick – 64-years old | Bullhead City, AZ

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Boxer

“Originally used as gripping dogs during hog hunts, in which they would rip at an animal until the hunter arrived to finish it off, Boxers were also used in dogfighting. After their introduction to the USA around the 20^th century, they became popular among the kennel clubs that were showing dogs. The show breed standard eventually led to development of less functional jaw structure and skull profile, lessening their effectiveness as grippers and fighters¹.”

In North America, from 1982-2013, Boxers have seriously attacked 62 people, resulting in 29 maimings and 7 fatalities.

German Shepherd

“Because they are so often used for police work, some lines of GSDs have developed behavior that makes them unsuitable as household pets. Police lines often suffer an ADHD-like excitability and lack of impulse control. Some have developed what looks like ‘impulsive aggression’ – sudden, unprovoked, disproportionately savage attacks on another dog or on a human. If you are considering a German Shepherd Dog as a household companion, it is important to be sure you choose a dog from a working guide dog line or a companion dog line, and avoid breeders who supply police trainers and/or shutzhund clubs. This is particularly important if you expect the dog to interact safely with children and with other animals.”

In North America, from 1982-2013, German Shepherds have been responsible for 102 attacks on humans, resulting in 53 maimings and 15 fatalities. German Shepherd mixes have been responsible for 59 attacks, resulting in 35 maimings and 10 fatalities.

POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS DOG BREEDS

This is a list of dog breeds that have a history of being potentially dangerous to people, especially children. Daxton’s Friends for Canine Education and Awareness understands that any dog has the ability to bite or inflict serious harm to humans. This list consists of several dog breeds that have a higher than average number of recorded human fatalities. Please use extreme caution if you choose to bring one of these breeds into your home. Rental communities and homeowners insurance may restrict many of the dog breeds on this list due to the likelihood of a serious incident.

Pit Bulls, Mastiff, and Rottweiler lead in fatalities and are listed first. The rest of the breeds are listed in alphabetical order:

Pit Bull Terrier Family