PUYALLUP, Wash. - A Washington family is seeking the community's help after their dogs, two corgis named Charlee and Piper, were left dealing with serious injuries following a vicious attack by two Staffordshire dogs.

In a GoFundMe post created by the dogs' owner, John Fairbanks, he shared pictures revealing the significance of the injuries, which show deep gashes in the dogs' necks while being attached to various medical tubes. 

Fairbanks writes that the situation is "one of the most helpless and heartbreaking moments of my life."

What we know:
Fairbanks, who says that his family recently moved to South Hill Puyallup, said his daughter was walking Charlee and Piper when the attack ensued. 

The two corgis are almost 10 years old and have never been apart from one another, according to Fairbanks.  

As his daughter was trying to get help, she and a neighbor's son were also bitten by the two Staffordshires.

Fairbanks said he was not home at the time, so the dogs and his daughter were taken to the hospital by a neighbor. 

He added that he will "never forget getting a video call from my daughter crying and covered in blood."

What's next:
In a recent update, Fairbanks said both dogs have been reunited, but Piper specifically faces a "long road to recovery and some additional surgeries as she heals."

A GoFundMe has been established to help the family cover vet bills, which Fairbanks says is already nearing $10,000, as well as emergency care, surgeries, and ongoing treatment for the two dogs. 

"Any support you can give means the world to our family and will help my girls heal," Fairbanks wrote. 

LIGHTHOUSE POINT, Fla. — A newly released 911 call is shedding light on a deadly dog attack in Lighthouse Point that authorities say left one dog dead, another seriously injured and a resident bitten earlier this week.

Police said the incident happened Thursday morning near Northeast 52nd Street and 26th Avenue after two dogs escaped from a fenced yard and began roaming the neighborhood.

They said one of the dogs attacked a small spaniel named Brody outside a nearby home. Brody’s owner and neighbors tried to stop the attack but were unable to separate the animals, police said.

The owner then retrieved a gun and shot and killed the attacking dog.

A newly released 911 call captures the confusion in the immediate aftermath.

“There’s one dog that’s dead that got shot,” the caller told a dispatcher.The caller said Brody, the injured dog, was inside the home and that the family was trying to get the animal to a veterinarian.

“It’s my neighbor’s dog,” the caller said.

“We’re trying to get the dog to the vet.”

The caller then warned that another dog had been traveling with the one that was shot.

“That just bit another neighbor,” the caller said.

When the dispatcher asked where the dog was, the caller said it was still loose.

“It’s wandering the street right now and someone’s going to kill it if we don’t figure out what’s going on,” the caller added.

Police said the second dog later encountered another resident nearby and bit her in the leg, causing a puncture wound. Lighthouse Point Fire Rescue medics evaluated the woman at the scene, and she later chose to seek additional medical treatment independently.

They said the second dog eventually returned to its residence and was secured by its caretaker. Broward County Animal Care workers responded and placed the dog in quarantine.

Police identified both loose dogs as American Staffordshire mixes.

Neighbors told Local 10 News they heard screams and rushed outside, where they saw the larger dog attacking Brody by the neck.“The dog was not letting up,” one neighbor said.

“It grabbed his neck really good.”

Brody suffered serious injuries and was taken by his owner to a local veterinary hospital for treatment.

Police said they are investigating where the two dogs came from and the circumstances that led to the attack.

No charges had been filed as of Thursday, police said. The investigation remains ongoing.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Lighthouse Point Police Department at 954-942-8080.

A 2-year-old boy suffered a deep puncture wound to his leg after a pit bull attacked him without warning in the parking lot of a Kansas City Steak 'n Shake, according to a lawsuit filed on his family's behalf. The child, identified in court filings only as E.A., underwent emergency surgery at Children's Mercy after the June 19 attack, and his parents are now seeking unspecified damages from the restaurant's operators.

Sally and Jose Alvarado filed the lawsuit in Clay County Circuit Court on behalf of their son, according to The Kansas City Star. The suit names four Missouri LLCs that own and operate a Steak 'n Shake franchise at 9500 NE Barry Road near the Liberty Triangle.

Court documents describe how E.A. exited a car in the restaurant's parking lot alongside his sister and grandmother when a pit bull named Chloe approached the group from behind and bit the toddler's leg, causing what the family's attorneys describe as a deep puncture wound.

The lawsuit alleges the dog was owned by an unhoused couple who were living out of their car in the Steak 'n Shake parking lot, and that restaurant employees knew Chloe was regularly on the property. According to the filing, staff made no effort to have Chloe's owners remove her or move their vehicle, despite the dog being a known presence at the location. E.A. suffered mental anguish and fear as a result of the attack, according to an affidavit cited in the case.

Why the Restaurant, Not Just the Dog's Owners, Is Being Sued

The decision to target the franchise operator rather than pursuing the unhoused couple directly reflects a common legal strategy in premises liability cases. Under Missouri premises liability law, business operators owe customers the highest duty of care to maintain safe commercial premises, and property owners can face civil liability if they knowingly allow a dangerous animal owned by a third party to remain on their grounds, according to legal guidance from the Missouri Injury Law Firm. The lawsuit alleges the defendants knew about the dangerous dog and should have removed her from the property before the attack occurred.

Separately, Missouri operates under a strict liability standard when it comes to dog bites themselves. Under Missouri Revised Statute Section 273.036, dog owners or possessors can be held liable for injuries caused by unprovoked attacks regardless of whether the animal had any prior history of aggression, according to Eng & Woods. That standard eliminates the need for plaintiffs to prove a dog had shown vicious tendencies before an attack, though it applies most directly to the animal's owner or possessor rather than a property owner.

Local Leash Rules and Dangerous Dog Requirements

Kansas City Municipal Code Section 14-33 requires dog owners and handlers to keep animals on a physical leash or under restraint in public spaces, prohibiting dogs from roaming freely off private property, per Apex Injury Attorneys. If Chloe were ever formally declared a dangerous or potentially dangerous dog by the city, Kansas City Animal Health Division guidelines would require her owners to carry between $100,000 and $250,000 in liability insurance or a surety bond, and to keep her muzzled on a leash no longer than four feet in public. Kansas City Animal Services and its operating partner, KC Pet Project, oversee municipal animal control citywide and handle more than 16,000 animals annually.

State law adds another layer of potential consequence. Under Missouri Revised Statute Section 578.024, keeping a dangerous dog that causes serious injury in an attack is a misdemeanor offense, and any dog that causes serious injury or death must be immediately seized and impounded by animal control or county sheriffs. It remains unclear from the lawsuit whether Chloe was seized following the June attack.

Severity of the Injuries and Medical Response

E.A. was treated at Children's Mercy Kansas City, which operates the region's only Pediatric Level I Trauma Center between St. Louis and Denver and regularly handles complex pediatric dog bite trauma requiring emergency surgery and reconstructive care, according to the hospital. The need for emergency surgery underscores the severity of the wound described in the lawsuit.

Dog bite claims of this severity carry significant financial weight nationally. In 2025, homeowners' insurance carriers across the United States paid out more than $1.86 billion across 28,450 dog-related injury claims, with the national average cost per claim reaching $65,450, according to Eng & Woods. The Alvarado family's suit does not specify a dollar amount sought in damages.

Legal Timeline Still Open for the Family

Because E.A. was a minor at the time of the attack, his family retains an unusually long legal runway. Missouri's tolling provisions extend the standard five-year personal injury statute of limitations for injured minors until they turn 21, allowing claims to be pursued up to age 26, according to the Missouri Lawyersresource on the subject. That extended window means the family's decision to file now, rather than later, reflects the family's own timing rather than any legal deadline pressure.

Kansas City's regulatory relationship with pit bulls has shifted in recent years. In August 2020, the city officially repealed its long-standing municipal ban on pit bulls, joining dozens of Midwestern cities that moved from breed-specific bans toward breed-neutral dangerous dog ordinances, according to the American Kennel Club. That policy shift is why Chloe could legally reside within city limits at the time of the attack, though it does not bear on the specific liability questions raised in the Alvarado family's lawsuit.

Exclusive: Grandmother Jacqui Jacovides was in her front yard last week when a dog tore up her open driveway and mauled her daughter’s pet cavoodle to death.

The worst part is that the dog – an American Staffordshire terrier cross – had attacked before and was previously ordered to wear a muzzle in public, but the order was lifted shortly before Bear was killed.

Jacovides was outside her home on the NSWCentral Coast with the two family dogs, Bear and Bambi, when the horrifying attack occurred.

She remembers seeing the Staffy cross race into her front yard and immediately go for three-year-old Bear.

“In that moment, that dog became a monster,” she told nine.com.au.

“I was punching it in the face and trying to get it off Bear, but I just couldn’t get its jaws open.”

“When I realised Bear was dead, I had to let him go and run to get Bambi away from the dog because I thought she was going to be next.”

Jacovides said the Staffy cross refused to let go of Bear’s tiny body until her partner prised its jaws open with a small garden trowel.

She claimed the dog was wearing a leash but appeared to have pulled out of its owner’s grip while they were walking it past the yard.

“[The owner] didn’t even say sorry,” Jacovides alleged.

The Jacovides family reported the attack to NSW Police and Central Coast Council, only to learn the dog had been involved in another attack about two years prior.

Nine.com.au understands that an order was issued after the attack requiring the dog to wear a muzzle in public, but that the owner appealed for it to be lifted after 18 months and was successful.

“It’s just so senseless. A muzzle could have saved my dog’s life,” Jacovides said.

A Central Coast Council spokesperson told nine.com.au the Staffy cross has since been euthanised.

“Central Coast Council extends its sincere condolences to the family following the tragic dog attack at Tuggerawong that resulted in the loss of a beloved family pet,” they said.

“Following the attack, Council immediately commenced an investigation, seized the dog involved, and the animal has since been euthanised.”

The Jacovides family are heartbroken and traumatised by Bear’s death. 

The investigation is ongoing and Central Coast Council is considering further compliance action against the Staffy cross’ owner.

Central Coast Council did not say if the dog had been declared to be dangerous before it killed Bear.

Under NSW legislation, dangerous dogs must be muzzled whenever they’re out of their usual enclosure and owners who fail to muzzle a dangerous dog can cop a fine of up to $5000.

“While previous regulatory decisions about the dog [...] were made in accordance with the evidence available at the time and through Council’s established governance processes, Council acknowledges the seriousness of this incident and will review the circumstances surrounding the matter to identify any opportunities for improvement,” the spokesperson said.

“Council remains committed to community safety, responsible pet ownership, and ensuring all companion animal matters are managed in accordance with legislative requirements.”

That won’t erase Jacovides’ heartache and the trauma of Bear’s death.

Jacqui’s granddaughter was incredibly close with Bear and is bereft without him. 

It’s scary to think what could have happened if her young grandchildren had been playing in the front yard with the dogs that day.

“I’m going to be dealing with some PTSD, because I can’t stop seeing it,” Jacovides said of the brutal attack.

“Every time I’ve got my little grandson in my arms, I see Bear. It’s just terrible.”

The Jacovides family is calling on the NSW government to strengthen dangerous dog laws to prevent this from happening again.

They want stronger penalties for owners who fail to comply with legislation or whose dogs are involved in fatal attacks, mandatory education and training for owners of dangerous dogs, and regular compliance inspections by council.

Jacovides and her daughter Allie said they don’t want all dangerous dogs to be put down, they just want to keep other pets and humans safe.

“I don’t want these dogs euthanised, but I do want the way that they are managed to be much stricter,” Allie told nine.com.au.

“Because this is not a one-off occurrence. It’s happening all the time, in a range of places, not just in our area.

“There’s just no one making big changes because so much of it still goes unreported.”

She started a Change.org petition calling for stronger dangerous dog laws in NSW, which already has more than 1000 signatures.

It won’t bring Bear back or erase the trauma of his violent death, but the Jacovides family hopes it might save other families from the same horror and heartbreak.

Dangerous dog laws in NSW

In NSW, a dog can be declared dangerous by an authorised council officer or a local court if it:

attacks or kills a person or animal without provocation
repeatedly threatens or chases a person or animal without provocation has been declared dangerous in another state or territory is kept or used for hunting
Dangerous dogs must be microchipped, registered, and desexed, and must be kept in an enclosure that meets strict requirements under the Companion Animals Regulation 2018.

They must always wear an identifying collar, must be supervised by someone over the age of 18 at all times, and must be leashed and muzzled in public.
Owners of dangerous dogs must also pay annual permit fees through their local council to keep the animal or face fines of up to $6600.

It is illegal to sell, advertise for sale, give away, or transfer ownership of a dangerous dog, with penalties of up to $16,5000 for non-compliance.

The owner of a pit bull that mauled an elderly woman as she walked her dog in a Glenvar neighborhood recently received a suspended prison sentence.

Tiffany Lynn Turner, 38, pleaded no contest to a felony charge of allowing an animal attack that resulted from her reckless disregard for human life. At a July 20 hearing in Roanoke County Circuit Court, Judge James Swanson sentenced her to five years, with all of the time suspended pursuant to a plea agreement reached in the case.

Turner’s dog, a gray-and-white pit bull named Thor, was shot and killed by county police officers during the Oct. 3. incident.

According to court records, the dog was running free on Ingle Boulevard when it approached the woman, bit her numerous times, and dragged her across the street in an attack that lasted about five minutes.

The victim, who suffered multiple broken bones and cuts, spent several days in the hospital.

Responding police officers had difficulty stopping the attack. After first running the pit bull off by shocking it with a taser, they had to shoot the dog when it returned, authorities said at the time.

Thor had been left unattended in Turner’s yard, court records state.

Roanoke County’s dog ordinance allows canines to be loose as long as they remain on their owner’s property, or other property with permission.

Two other people said they were injured by the same dog in earlier encounters, according to a complaint filed by police at the time. No charges were brought, in part because those incidents happened on the owner’s property, the dog was quarantined, and the Virginia Department of Health was notified, county officials said.

Turner spent several days in jail last year before she was released on bond. She will now be on probation for five years.

As part of the plea agreement, Turner will not be allowed to own any dogs in the future or to live in any home that has them.

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Pulaski County officials make arrests in fatal dog attack involving 2-year-old
21-year-old MaKayla Jackson, 55-year-old Earnest Jackson, and 41-year-old Christina Hart were arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of a minor.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — After a fatal dog attack claimed the life of 2-year-old Celeste Jackson on Norman Road on Saturday, March 28, officials have announced the arrest of three suspects.

21-year-old MaKayla Jackson, 55-year-old Earnest Jackson, and 41-year-old Christina Hart were arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of a minor.

Back in March, officials confirmed that the dog involved was located as a stray and taken into custody by the Pulaski County Animal Control Division.

According to reports, calls were made to authorities about roaming dogs in the area before the deadly incident occurred. Life-saving measures were performed on the scene, but the child tragically died.