The inherent dangers of dog packs and the manner in which they can cause a dog-related human fatality are addressed in other sections of this website. Below, I remind the reader of the extreme danger dog packs present to public safety, particularly when they are unsupervised and a large dog like a Great Dane.
Great Dane fatal dog attack [1]Great Dane fatal dog attacks are extremely rare. Other instances have been documented however.
Nevertheless, my attention was drawn to a recent occurrence that occurred on August 8, 2024, in Butte County, California, [2]Butte County is a largely remote and rural area located in Northern California. by an attorney that was looking for an expert witness to render opinions about this incident. In this incident, a pack of roughly 25 malnourished Great Dane-type dogs killed 56-year-old Diana Corbin. Corbin’s body was found on a hiking trail on August 8, 2024. She had sustained wounds consistent with bites inflicted by a domestic dog. [3]The breed of dogs were identified as great Danes; however, the accuracy of this identification should be questioned.
Investigation of the incident
An investigation by animal control and Butte County Sheriff’s Office revealed that about seven of the canines were thought to have been involved in the incident. They were euthanized. The remaining 18 dogs, reportedly puppies, were put up for adoption. As of the time of this writing, the name of the owner of the dogs has not been made public. However, it is likely that this person will eventually face criminal charges.
Prior to the incident, residents in the area had previously voiced their concerns to animal control about the dogs, complaining that this pack of dogs was a threat to public safety. For example, supposedly a neighbor allegedly reported several encounters with the dogs, including one where the dogs behaved in a threatening manner towards him. The neighbor alleges that animal control did not take any action in response to his complaint. Animal control officials refute that they had never received such notice, however.
Was animal control negligent?
Butte County Animal Control, perhaps realizing the possibility of a lawsuit [4]Animal control agencies are often named as defendants in dog bite lawsuits as a result of negligence reportedly acknowledged that they had received several calls about the dogs being loose but never any complaints or reports about their aggressive nature or their potential danger to public safety. [5]It is important to note that at the time of this writing, the investigation of this incident is still in its early stages. Hence, the totality of what I report above is likely accurate; however, … Continue reading
This horrific event brings to light the significance of responsible pet ownership as well as the potential deadly nature of unsupervised dog packs running loose in rural areas.
Footnotes
| ↑1 | Great Dane fatal dog attacks are extremely rare. Other instances have been documented however. |
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| ↑2 | Butte County is a largely remote and rural area located in Northern California. |
| ↑3 | The breed of dogs were identified as great Danes; however, the accuracy of this identification should be questioned. |
| ↑4 | Animal control agencies are often named as defendants in dog bite lawsuits as a result of negligence |
| ↑5 | It is important to note that at the time of this writing, the investigation of this incident is still in its early stages. Hence, the totality of what I report above is likely accurate; however, specific details may be inaccurate given that the information I have collected comes from news stories. The facts of the incident will eventually come out if litigation is initiated against animal control. |