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An Essex man died Tuesday afternoon after being attacked by a dog at a home on Brigham Hill Road, according to the Essex Police Department.
Police said officers responded at about 3:20 p.m. March 10 to a report of an animal attack at a residence at 179 Brigham Hill Road in Essex, Vermont. Essex Rescue and the Essex Town Fire Department also responded.
When responders arrived, they found that an elderly male resident had been attacked by a dog that lived at the home. The man suffered severe injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police identified the victim as Stephen G. Campbell, 76, of Essex.
Family members were inside the home at the time of the attack, including the dog’s owner, who was able to stop the attack and secure the animal, police said.
According to rabies vaccination records, the dog was described as a large male pit bull named Jack.
Detectives with the Essex Police Department and the Vermont Office of the Chief Medical Examiner are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident. The medical examiner’s office will determine the official cause and manner of Campbell’s death.
Police said the dog’s owner voluntarily surrendered the animal to the town through the animal control officer. The dog was scheduled to be transferred to the Humane Society of Chittenden County on Wednesday and euthanized.
Authorities said the dog had previously been the subject of a January hearing before the Essex Selectboard after attacking a delivery driver at the same residence. In that incident, the man suffered severe injuries and requested the hearing.
Because the earlier attack occurred on the dog owner’s property, the case was handled under state law and local ordinance as a “potentially vicious dog” complaint. The Selectboard ordered several remedial measures, including confining the dog when nonresidents were present, posting warning signs, obtaining training for the dog and its owner, and acquiring muzzle equipment.
Police said officers had conducted regular follow-ups with the owner since the ruling and believe the owner had complied with the Selectboard’s orders. The investigation into Tuesday’s fatal attack remains ongoing.
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Categories: Animals
It seems to me that I just read (saw on TV?) about a parent who was found guilty of murder when his son committed a school shooting . Firearm, dog……. Whatever, it happened in Chittenden Co. so the State’s Attorney there will probably get the dog off with time served .
Pit Bulls are responsible for 65.6% of fatal dog attacks despite making up only 6% of the dog population. Rotweillers are responsible for 10% with all other large breeds in single digits.
I would say the main issue with any dogs that have earned a reputation for being aggressive is the dogs environment, upbringing and owner aren’t ever scrutinized. Sadly most dogs that are badly behaved are that way because of no training, bad training or wait for it…bad owners. Kind of like kids that grow up with no discipline and then we read about them in the news. Pit bulls (so called), Staffordshire Terriers were THE family dog in the 40s. My daughter’s terrier lives us and she is a lamb chop, her aggression really comes through when she’s trying to burrow under the bedcovers…sarcasm.
What a tragic situation for everyone. Warren Herrick, I appreciate your information about the breeds that are responsible for the most fatal attacks. This is not to say that these breeds should be eliminated but dog owners and shelters need to be a bit more mindful of the potential for violence, imo. I am often a bit surprised when I see how many pit bulls and pit bull mixes are being imported to VT shelters. There are many many dogs to choose from that are being euthanized for space in the south. No need to add to this danger, imo.
Cage Jack’s owners?
You come into the state with an ounce of Fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance that is similar to morphine but about 100 times more potent.
Due to your distribution of it a few people end up dead.
Now consider Jack’s outcome.
Pitbulls are “little lambs”, until they aren’t.
When delivering propane, I walked a wide berth around the Doberman just to get bit by their beagle. They apologized and offered to pay if I needed medical attention. I was fine but you never know what will happen because “little Pookie doesn’t bite”.
I venture that a dog will not attack unprovoked. They always warn first. And they don’t attack those who are kind either.
Pit Bulls Are the Most Abused Dogs in the World (PETA)
Many pit bull owners chose the breed for guard duties. Owners purposefully mistreat their pit bulls and starve them of affection in order to trigger their aggressive behavior.
The extent of pit bull abuse also contributes to the common myth that they are ferocious dogs.
As a surgeon I have repaired so many facial / neck wounds from pit bulls both to their owners, family members and others. My own neighbor was attacked and required months of rehabilitation, the same dog chased me and in a separate incident my family was encircled by two aggressive pit bulls ready to attack only to be rescued by their owner at the last minute. I personally have had to put my bike up like a wall between me and aggressive pit bulls more than once. Next time you apply for homeowners’ insurance see what dogs ( Evolutionary genetics and breeding ) they ask about for liability concerns and policy rate.
Thank you for offering your extensive first hand experience here. Any dog can bite but this breed is disproportionately represented in injuries and fatalities to humans. There are likely many reasons for this, but I am often perplexed to see rescues and humane societies in the northeast importing Pit Bulls. These orgs need to import dogs from the south where the spay and neuter campaigns have not been as successful and have many deserving dogs to choose from- why would they import Pitbulls, given the breed’s history? The breed is legal, and there are plenty of these dogs available if someone wants this breed- why make it easier to populate our area with a breed known to be dangerous. Especially with a rescue dog with an unknown background. SMH.
That dog should have been put down the first time he bit someone. I think that they said that the dog also tried to bite a FedEx delivery person, I know it was something to do with FedEx delivery. Now this same dog has killed someone. Does it always take someone dying before anything is done. I know the select board did everything that they could, it is nice that the owner complied but now a man and the dog have been killed. I think that the owner should be charged with murder because of his dog but that is my opinion only.
Oh the injustice that Vermont technically has abolished the death penalty, but that it still is available to be used on “non-human community members”…
Sometimes you have to do the right thing even when you love your dog. You don’t want “potentially vicious” to turn into this. So sad this man had to be the proof. Its sickening.
Democrats are concerned what color fur the dog had…..
Regardless of whether it was a Dog of Color, the Pit Bull is an oppressed minority and maligned based on heritage, so therefore deserves some victim protection. When a Pit Bull misbehaves, that must be framed in the perspective of their upbringing and past injustices.
As a former distance runner who ran many miles in the countryside, I have had enough scary experiences with pit bulls. Their nastiness is off the charts. German shepherds are a distant second. My only experience with a Doberman was one that came out of a house and chased me down as I ran by at 6:30 mile pace. They are fast. I thought I was doomed. It then jumped on me and started licking me all over. Fun dog. This was long before various self defense sprays, etc
I totally agree that dog owners should be charged with murder if their dog kills someone who was not provoking the dog.