Murder charge follows fatal dog mauling of boy, 4

[ErikJ]

Source: USA Today

DETROIT — The parents of a 4-year-old boy killed by a pack of pit bulls welcomed a murder charge brought against the dogs’ owner Monday, saying he deserves “whatever he has coming to him.”

"Life in jail, no parole, electric chair, I just want him to feel the pain I feel,” said Clarence Strickland, the father of Xavier Strickland.

“… Feel the pain my son felt when those dogs were eating him up, just feel the pain. My son getting mauled, I never expected it. …To snatch a baby from up under his mama, drag him under the fence and eat him like he was dog food or something, it’s terrible. I never expected this.”

Geneke Antonio Lyons, 41, who owned the four dogs, was arraigned Monday afternoon on charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter and possessing dangerous animals causing death.

"The evidence in this case will show that these dogs saw this child as meal, and we believe that we can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the alleged actions of the defendant in this case ?rise to the level of murder in the second degree," Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a news release, announcing the criminal charges. "It is a gross understatement to say that this case is harrowing example of irresponsible pet ownership.”

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2015/12/07/murder-charge-pit-bulls-mauling-child-4/76924782/?hootPostID=2af0fd624874d46587422d8e104e89f8

[redgreenandblue]

1. I think murder charges are correct for cases like this.

I keep hearing people say that there are only bad owners, not bad dogs, and their dog would never harm anyone.

I'm actually fine with people keeping their dogs, if they are willing to bet their own life and freedom on the behavior of their animal.

I have a dog, an australian shepherd, and I am willing to take any bet that he will never kill or seriously injure a human being outside of a self-defense situation. I'm fine with being convicted of murder in the event that he does. If the pit bull owners are not willing to take the same bet, then their confidence in their animals does not run as deep as they claim.

[Drahthaardogs]

4. The average owner has no business owning a pitbull

They are simply too much dog for most people. I have trained dogs and played the doggie games for years. Pitbulls as a breed are a mess caused by irresponsible breeding. These dogs were really just puppies, so the whole "its how you raise them" argument is fairly week.

As a dog trainer, I find it especially disturbing that these dogs literally ripped this child from his mother's arms. These dogs's prey drives were so out of whack, they saw human beings as a target. The kid was not running or screaming or anything that trigger a prey reaction in a normal dog. This is a genetic problem.

[Android3.14]

5. Too often the humans who choose these breeds do so because of the reputation

I agree the aggressive nature is inbred, and an owner must be a strong and attentive alpha to any pit bull or similar breed. They are often great pets, but genetics isn't just an idea. It's a fact.

Some of the folks who choose this breed do so because they think it reflects some characteristic to which they aspire (tough, aggressive, prone to violence, dominant), kind of like some gun owners, and that type of person shouldn't have a pet of any sort until they deal with the violent wreckage of their own lives, if ever.

[Paladin]

7. Your reference to gun owners is apt. Particularly assault rifle owners.

That twisted mindset is on display every day in DU's Gun Control & RKBA group.

[hedgehog]

11. On the other hand, I think some people choose to own pt bulls either

because they see denunciations of the breed as a form of racism and/or because they don't want to see any dog euthanized and/or because they feel themselves to be dog whisperers - "My cutie wouldn't harm a butterfly because I raised him so well."

[Android3.14]

19. Which is unfortunate because 'race" and "breed" tend to be pretty diifferent

With races, we primarily differentiate based on skin color, but the truth of the matter is that skin color is a minor genetic difference compared to breed. Two people of the same race could, genetically, vary far more than two people of different races when it comes to intelligence, demeanor, and such. Whereas breeds of dogs share much more genetic similarity. Greyhounds, for example, come in a wide variety of colors, but few would mistakenly claim that a white greyhound and a black greyhound were different breeds.

People bred the rootstock of Bulldogs, regardless of color, for specific physical and behavioral characteristics, many of them related to size, strength of the jaw and aggressive predatory pack behavior. It's not that the breed is bad or that mean ol' dog haters have maligned them. The breed, in general, has a tendency to behave the way we have bred them to behave.

[ErikJ]

20. Many countries cities have banned them simply to help get rid

of dog fighting, which is the ultimate dog / animal cruelty.

Pit bulls are a man made breed so letting the breed die or banning is not ""racism" anymore than banning assault rifles. We dont let people keep dangerous wildlife so why are pits any different?

[goldent]

22. How does racism enter into this?

[leftyladyfrommo]

10. Or they were starving.

I work with dogs all the time, too. I have never heard of a situation where the dogs actually ripped a child from it's parent's arms.

I just do not understand why anyone would take on the risk of owning a dog from a breed that can be so dangerous. If your dog ever attacks someone and hurts or kills them your life would be over. You would lose everything you own. You would lose your business. You would do jail time.

Just doesn't make sense to me.

[Coventina]

12. A feral pack of dogs of any breed will hunt like wolves, which is exactly what happened here.

Last edited Tue Dec 8, 2015, 01:50 PM - Edit history (1)

When left to their own devices, they will do as they evolved to do: hunt in packs.
And, in one sense, are more dangerous than wolves, as they have no fear of humans.

Any breed will do this, even Pomeranians.

However, the larger and stronger the dogs, the more dangerous it becomes.

Ignorant dog owners (sometimes willfully ignorant) are a danger to themselves and those around them.

on edit: typo

[Drahthaardogs]

13. I saw the female on tv

She looked well nourished

[Journeyman]

2. I started to write about a similar situation in my neighborhood, where the victim was an adult . . .

but after reading the full article I find myself with no words to say, only an empty feeling of loss, and the hope this child's parents will weather the turmoil before them.

[christx30]

23. There are two dogs in my neighborhood

that roam around free. They like to growl at people and other dogs in the neighborhood. One time, I was taking my kids (7 and 9)from the car to the house. The dogs approached and the kids got scared. I told my wife to hustle the kids inside I ran the dogs off. Just ran toward them clapping my hands and yelling "Ya! Ya!" They ran off.
They belong to someone that live around the corner from me. We've called 311 a couple of times about them, but they say they can't do anything unless the dog is actually threatening someone.

[Journeyman]

24. Separate now from the ghastly story above, I'll tell you of my neighborhood's experience. . .

The victim in my neighborhood was a postal carrier.

The dog owner had been cited numerous times for allowing her dogs to run loose in the neighborhood. I don't remember the breeds -- large, ugly and mean were their characteristics. They attacked the carrier from behind, and had him on the ground before he knew what happened. The carrier was a large man, well over 6 foot tall and a build to match, but caught unawares and dragged prone to the sidewalk, he was almost helpless to defend himself.

Fortunately, someone driving by pulled up close, blasted their horn, and in the momentary distraction for the dogs, tossed the carrier one of those metal "Clubs" used to secure a steering wheel. The carrier was able to beat the dogs away. Came close to killing one.

The neighborhood wanted the dog owner brought up on charges, but other than her dogs being destroyed, no criminal charges were brought against her. The carrier who delivered to my home told me the victim was going to press a civil suit but I never learned if he did. Shortly after the incident, my carrier left and her replacement wasn't as talkative. I do know the carrier who was attacked wasn't the same afterwards. He was in the hospital for weeks. Afterwards, he started working exclusively inside, and suffered bouts of PTSD in the aftermath.

I'm glad to see this case is being prosecuted as the criminal act it seems to have been. Perhaps if more of these irresponsible pet owners find themselves rotting in prison for their neglect and abuse, some of the more blatant dog attacks may be averted.



I have put animal control in my city on notice: If a dog whom I believe may cause harm prowls unattended through my neighborhood, I'm going to put that beast in a cage and take it to an animal shelter.

Animal Control laughed when I said this, claimed they would just have to return the beast to its rightful owner.

I told them they didn't understand. My business requires me to ship large loads all over the nation. I'm loading that dog on a truck and instructing the driver to drop it off at a shelter somewhere at least 6 States distant from me.

Ever since, when calls come in from this neighborhood, Animal Control is quick to get out, talk to the owners, and cite them if necessary.

[Warren DeMontague]

3. Oh, God. Fuck.

There's no "good" here, but, throw the book at him.

[olegramps]

6. A person in our neighborhood was bitten by her neighbor's dog:

She was bringing her neighbors some produce from her garden. She rang the bell and the dog as usual started barking and carrying on like it always does. When they opened the door the dog jumped out and bit her in the leg. Well, she went to the doctor and as required by law he notified the authorities. Guess what happened? They were pissed off at her and have refused to ever talk to her again.

This couple has no problem in calling the neighbors for help. He is in a wheelchair and she has severe arthritis. They are very wealthy, yet think they the neighbors have nothing better to do than wait on them. I will no longer respond since the dog attempted to bit me. They just ignore that it is damn menace and brag it is a great watch dog. Some, not all dog owners, are a bigger menace than their dogs since they refuse to take responsibility for them. They seem to think that if it doesn't bit them, then its okay if they bite the neighbors.

[Coventina]

8. Second degree? I'd say first. And animal cruelty as well.

Horrific beyond words.

The dogs were clearly acting as a feral pack, and needed a meal. Naturally, a child would be seen as their prey.
(I'll bet the neighborhood has already been cleared of any cats).

Their behavior shows that they were NOT being cared for, and left to run wild.

Lyons is directly responsible for that child's horrific murder, as well as the death of the dogs, and the wounds suffered by that poor mother, and the danger and stress endured by the police responding to the call. He should be charged with ALL of it.

I hope he goes away for life.

[nyabingi]

9. Just get rid of the pit bulls already out there

These dogs are known to turn on their owners let alone any other innocent person around.

There has been a concerted PR campaign to convince everyone that these dogs are not dangerous but the dogs themselves prove them wrong every time. Human beings created this breed (just as we genetically engineered all dogs), and we need to be the ones to get rid of them.

That may sound harsh, but it's a breed of dog that is a menace to society. If you have one you might as well keep lions, tigers and bears in your home as well.

[TwilightGardener]

14. Somehow it became "cute" or trendy for women to own them. So everywhere I walk on trails in my

area, there's at least one clearly not-alpha-enough woman being dragged along by a pit bull. My sense is they would have zero control when the dog suddenly loses its shit. So I give them wide berth, and I don't even bother walking my dachshunds on well-used trails anymore.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

15. It's "trendy" because there's an attempt to paint everything as sunshine and roses with pitbulls

To nullify anything negative said about them in the media and in general.

That said, I don't think many men are any better at handling those dogs. Few people are equipped for being a pit bull owner, and it should not be encouraged by people who claim they just want what's best for the dog and claim the portrayal is all just "bigotry".

[TwilightGardener]

16. No, I don't necessarily think men would be better in terms of raising and training,

but just being larger, deeper-voiced and stronger than most women they may have a bit more physical control or a bit more alpha power when it counts (my dogs, no matter the breed, have all been more instantly submissive to my husband than to me, mostly because he's six feet and I'm under 5 five feet.) I sense the dogs' seeming popularity with women in particular may be as a don't-mess-with-me symbol, but that's a really bad reason to own a dog. Eventually they will fade as a trend, and they'll go the way of cocker spaniels and dalmatians.

[Blandocyte]

17. These are assault dogs and owners should be licensed (with renewal possible) and checked on

Too many of these mauling stories revealing irresponsible ownership.

[JudyM]

18. Regardless of breed, dog owners should be trained how to prevent/stop their pet from attacking.

A friend of mine has permanent, debilitating nerve/muscle injury in her right hand/arm - and she's a right-handed artist(!) - since she was attacked by her neighbor's small dog who leapt up and latched onto her arm. She is in pain and doesn't have good motor control for her work any more, it is really tragic in her world: a life changed for the worse. All that dog's owner needed was a freakin leash.

[Chemisse]

21. What a horrific story.

That poor little boy. And I can't fathom how that mother faces each new day of guilt and horror.