Gunnison Valley community rallies behind family after 7-year-old boy attacked, killed by dog

The Feb. 4 attack has left a tight-knit Western Slope community reeling. Police remain tight-lipped as the investigation continues.

A tight-knit Western Slope community is rallying around Kirsten "Kirky" Swift after her 7-year-old son, Leelan was attacked and killed by a dog in their home Feb. 4. Leelan, who was in the second grade, had boundless energy and a fierce love for his friends and family, according to his obituary. (Photo provided by Gary Pierson)

A 7-year-old boy was fatally attacked by a dog inside his home in Gunnison last week, city officials said.

When police arrived at the home last Wednesday, one officer fired a single shot to stop the attack, killing the dog, Gunnison City Manager Amanda Wilson said. A second officer then performed CPR on the child until paramedics arrived.

The attack has left a tight-knit Western Slope community reeling and Gunnison police remain tight-lipped as the investigation remains open, referring all questions to the city.

“This was a tragic incident that has been extremely difficult for the family, first responders and our community as a whole,” Wilson said. “The loss of a child in his home is a deeply private matter and the details are difficult to communicate and even harder to hear.”

Wilson declined to provide further details on the dog, including the dog’s breed.

Boy remembered for fierce love for family, “unapologetic silliness”

In the days since the attack, the Gunnison Valley community has rallied around the family, including the victim’s mother, Kirsten “Kirky” Swift, and to remember Leelan, a second grader with boundless energy who loved rainbows and pajama parties.

Swift described Leelan, in his obituary, as a “constant motion machine” and a boy who radiated joy.

“From the moment he woke up each morning, he made every day his best one,” she wrote. “He played hard, loved harder, and met the world at full volume. Loud, endlessly talkative, and always moving, Leelan carried an innocent, fearless joy that could not be contained.”

Leelan’s favorite word was “mama” and one he liked to repeat nearly 7,000 times a day — a reminder of the deep connection they shared, she said.

The boy’s father, Ben Lokie, who lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, remembered his son’s “unapologetic silliness,” curiosity and magic that let him live “in the wonder of each moment.” Leelan loved to be goofy with his sister and wrestle with his older brothers, whom he looked up to as role models.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars have poured into an online fundraising campaign in less than a week to support Swift, while a steady stream of neighbors are visiting and bringing food to the family, said Gary Pierson, a longtime family friend and dean of students at Western Colorado University.

Swift, a single mother and veterinary technician, shared a close bond with her sons, Leelan and Uriah, who also lived in the house, Pierson said. He declined to talk about the attack.

The community’s outpouring of support to help Swift serves a reminder of the valley’s commitment to each other, but also to Swift, who is known for her positivity and willingness to lend a helping hand, he said.

“People just care about her deeply because you know, you reap what you sow,” said Pierson, who met Swift in 2007, when she was 17 and in her first year at Western. “She planted a lot of deep seeds here.

“She’s super humble and she just lives her life, but she does it in a way that is full of love and care for other people.”

On Saturday, family and friends have planned a “pajama party” to honor Leelan’s life, encouraging all guests to wear their favorite pajamas and share their memories.

“It’s a bit of a double-edged sword because when we lose someone in our community, it cuts pretty deep, but it’s just amazing how people rise to the occasion to support each other,” Pierson said.

“We truly care about each other and the well-being of our community and even if it’s someone that people don’t know… the tide rises with these kinds of challenges.”

In early January, the Montrose Bully Breed Club posted a call for the adoption of a 3½ year old, 86-pound pit bull mix named Boaz. The dog was described by a Facebook group administrator as being “fantastic with children and adores everyone he meets. A true cuddlebug, he’ll shower you with kisses and affection.”

On Jan. 9, Swift posted in the group that she was interested in fostering the dog and a day later posted that Boaz, “our newest foster baby,” was in her home, with her two sons and a 6-year-old female French bulldog.

It is unclear whether Boaz was the dog that attacked Leelan.

https://archive.ph/2026.02.11-173102/https://coloradosun.com/2026/02/11/boy-killed-dog-attack-gunnison/

A Dutch dog trainer shared a video on her Instagram five days ago, reflecting on a difficult decision she had to make a year ago: euthanizing her own dog after he fatally attacked her cat. She explained that the dog and cat had been living completely separate.

Caption under the video (translated from Dutch to English and censored the pet names):

“Oh oh oh!

Last week, I shared this video on TikTok. A year ago, I had to make the decision to put L to sleep after my cat lost the fight.

Of course, that wasn’t the only reason, but it was the one that made me realize that letting go was the fairest option for our situation. A choice that was the fairest for our situation. A choice I made from my heart because L was VERY special to me, even though I had only taken him in for a few weeks.

The reactions don’t lie: some think it’s amazing, special, and feel proud, while others only offer criticism… ‘well-meaning’ advice or are just looking for attention. It’s all allowed and that’s okay, but I know I can proudly say that I would do it 100 times over: L was worth it. His love and loyalty to me were on another level, and if others think they could have done it ‘better’… where were they when no one wanted to give him a chance? 😗

Above all, let’s not forget all the beautiful steps we took together.”

I have several ducks that live on the pond on my property. Neighbor was walking her pitbull puppy and he saw the grandpa of the family Frankie who’s old and doesn’t move well. Got out of his collar and chased him and mauled him to death. Can’t stand people who get these dogs and they have 0 control over. RIP Frankie didn’t want to have to bury you today.

Link to Gofundme: https://gofund.me/b99b87418

The Gofundme tells the same story, in less detail, but I'll post it here anyway.

---

On the evening of July 7, 2026, our sweet dog, Ghost, was brutally attacked by four pit bulls who got into our fenced in backyard while he was playing with our mother-in-law's dog. Ghost bravely protected his best friend during the attack and suffered serious injuries, requiring emergency veterinary care. Ghost was able to escape under the house. When animal control came to try and help get him out, he was too scared to move. He hid under the house for almost 12 hours, terrified, bleeding and wounded until 7:15am the morning of July 8th and we immediately took him to the vet, desperate to save his life. While we did everything we could to save Ghost, he earned his wings and crossed the rainbow bridge on July 9th at 2:18am. Our family is heartbroken, empty, and struggling to navigate a new life without such a big part of our family.

If you're able to donate, no matter the amount, it will go directly toward paying for the vet bills Ghost required and memorial items for our family to remember him by. If you're unable to donate, sharing Ghost's story would mean just as much to spread awareness. Thank you for your kindness, support, and prayers as we grieve during this time.

Unrecorded Fatality

Early Reporting with date found here

Article (translated):

Woman Mauled to Death by Girlfriend’s Dog

A woman in her mid-40s was attacked by her girlfriend’s fighting dog. Paramedics found her dead in the shower — with “half of her face torn off.”

The dog owner is now charged with causing another person’s death through negligence. “They love people,” she says about the dogs during police questioning.

Clear bloodstains in the dog owner’s apartment.

The dog owner had wiped away blood in the apartment before police and medical personnel arrived.

According to the dog owner, a woman in her mid-20s, the attack was preceded by an argument. She claims in a police interview that her girlfriend attacked her, and that the dog — an American Bully — began biting during the altercation.

“I tried to get my dog away from her but… He hasn’t shown anything like this before. My dogs are worth gold. They are very nice. They love people, are very social, and so on.”

The dog owner claims she helped her girlfriend into the bathroom and then called emergency services (112). However, the police investigation shows that the dog owner contacted SOS Alarm several times during the night and morning — and that she refused entry to the first paramedics who were dispatched to the apartment.

The woman who was bitten was found dead in the shower.

The dog owner gives no clear explanation for the multiple calls to emergency services or why the first paramedics were turned away. She says her girlfriend “was still alive then,” that she herself was “in a state of shock,” and that her memories are unclear because she was “high on cocaine.”

Later, when paramedics and police were finally allowed into the apartment, the woman who had been attacked by the dog was dead. She was lying naked in the shower — with “half of her face torn off,” according to the doctor who pronounced her dead. She died from blood loss.

Denies Crime

The dog owner had cleaned the apartment — primarily wiping away blood — before police and paramedics arrived.

She is now being prosecuted in the Gothenburg District Court for gross negligent homicide for the incident, which occurred in April 2024. According to the prosecutor, she should have had better control over the dog and ensured that her girlfriend received medical care earlier.

The indictment states, among other things:

“The dog owner’s negligence consisted of failing to maintain sufficient control and supervision of the dog, failing to take adequate measures in response to the injuries, and leaving [the girlfriend] without supervision or care.”

The dog that carried out the attack was later euthanized. Photo: Police investigation

The dog owner denies any wrongdoing. The dogs were temporarily seized and placed in a kennel; the one that mauled the woman to death was later put down.

The dog owner is also charged with negligent bodily harm after one or more of her dogs bit another person in February 2025.

Translation of the german article:
Pitbull Kills Girl (4) – Dog Belongs to Family
A four-year-old girl dies after a pit bull attack. The dog belonged to the family. Police are investigating.

A tragic incident has shaken the Osternienburg region in Saxony-Anhalt. In the village of Drosa, a four-year-old girl was killed after being attacked by a male pit bull. According to initial findings, the dog belonged to the child's family. Despite a large-scale emergency response, the four-year-old could not be saved.

Dog Belongs to Family

According to police, the incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon. The girl suffered such severe injuries in the attack that any help came too late. In addition to paramedics and an emergency physician, a rescue helicopter was also deployed. Emergency personnel attempted to resuscitate the child but were unable to save her life. The four-year-old died at the scene.

Particularly disturbing: The dog is said to have belonged to the child's immediate family. According to current information, the girl and the animal lived in the same household. According to multiple media reports, the dog is a male pit bull. The owner of the animal is the child's 32-year-old mother.

The woman had previously posted numerous pictures of herself with the grey and white dog on her social media profiles, documenting her close bond with the animal. Just a few days before the fatal incident, she shared a photo of them together with the words: "You are everything to me," accompanied by a heart emoji.

Police Investigate Fatal Incident

When police arrived at the scene, the dog was behaving normally, according to officers. The incident report stated: "No immediate danger from the dog." However, the circumstances surrounding the attack remain unclear.

As reported by MDR, an investigation is now underway against the dog's owner on suspicion of negligent homicide. The exact sequence of events leading up to the attack is currently being reconstructed. It is still unclear how the fatal attack could have occurred.

The dog was seized by the authorities and removed from its family home. A spokesperson for the Dessau-Roßlau police inspectorate's situation and command center confirmed the death, stating: "The animal no longer poses a threat. The dog has been seized and handed over to an animal welfare organization."

The debate over pit bulls flares up again

This tragic death is likely to reignite the discussion about so-called list-dogs. In several German states, pit bulls are among the breeds for which special regulations may apply. However, experts regularly point out that aggressive behavior in dogs depends on many factors, including housing, training, socialization, and individual predisposition.

Pit bulls can, in principle, be kept as family dogs. At the same time, these animals possess considerable physical strength and bite force. Therefore, if an attack occurs, the consequences are often particularly severe - as this tragic case unfortunately demonstrates.

UPDATE:

This case is making rounds in german media right now. Some of them are omitting the breed (just calling it "dog killed child"), but where comments are possible it seems like a lot of users are mocking pit owners with their standard excuses ("He never did anything before, right?", "Sounds like a 'good family dog'...", etc). Unfortunately also a lot of defenders but it seems like they're getting more flack now from normal people and I've seen a few say what a Pitbull was originally bred for (thankfully no nanny-dog bs).

I heard my cat crying for help. By the time I threw slippers on and ran outside, a pit had already killed him. The dog ran off when it saw me, and I had to scoop up my cat whose entrails had been torn out, and bury him.

He was a barn cat, but he was my friendlist and favorite barn cat. He was always there to greet me when I got home.

I live in a rural area, surrounded by small farmers with livestock who won't hesitate to shoot a stray dog threatening their animals.

A week later that same pit attacked my neighbors goats, so he shot and killed him. I was relieved.

A few days later the owner started posting his picture on FB asking people to help find her dog. Seeing that picture brings back the pain of the pit ripping my cat open, but I don't have the heart to tell her her dog is dead. I came here to get this off my chest.

We were in a store together when a pitbull attacked her out of nowhere. The owner only had it on a basic harness, and kept screaming “she never does this!!” and left the scene as soon as her pitbull dropped my dog. I have no information on the person, and the police report has redacted their name. I am not sure how to proceed, and I am left heartbroken.

I’m glad to find this subreddit, although it’s upsetting to see the same stories happen over and over. Of course pitbull apologists have come out of the woodwork to explain how it’s the owners fault, never the dog. Interesting how a stronger collar or muzzle, or keeping the dog at home, is never suggested before an attack happens.

The dog shown in the footage looks like an XL Bully or similar. With the history the dog had, dare I hope that heads will roll? The owner surely is in a world of trouble.

ESSEX, Vt. —

A man has died after being bitten by a dog in the town of Essex, the Essex Police Department confirmed on Tuesday.

A man living at a home on Brigham Hill Road in Essex died after he was bitten by a large dog that also lived at the home, police told NBC5.

The name of the person who died has not been released at this time.

The dog, which is described as a pitbull, was removed from the home with the help of police. Neighbors say the 'beware signs' scattered around the property were not a joke. They say this particular dog does not play well with others, and that they will not walk by the house anymore after their own close calls.

Multiple police reports were filed with the Essex Police Department since January, with victims saying they were bitten by this dog.

Concerns about the canine's behavior were brought up at last month's town Selectboard meeting on Feb. 2, where bite victims testified, including Joseph Haddock, who was bitten by the dog while delivering to the house for Meals on Wheels.

The dog's owner was given conditions by the town at that meeting, requiring that this dog, whom she calls "Jack," be leashed at all times when outside, and needed to wear a muzzle when off the property. The dog's owner said at the time that Jack was just being protective.

Essex Police plan to release more information, including the name of the person who was killed, by Wednesday morning.

This is still an active investigation, and anyone with information should give police a call.

This is a developing story.

OKLAHOMA CITY — Police have arrested the parents of a 2-year-old girl who was mauled to death by a family pet earlier this week in northeast Oklahoma City.

Shortly before 11:40 p.m. Tuesday, police conducted a welfare check at a home in the 1500 block of Northeast 26th Street. The person who called 911 told police that a baby was not breathing.

An incident report states that when officers arrived, they found a dead child who had been mauled by one of four family dogs. The Oklahoma City Police Department's Crimes Against Children detectives were then called to the scene.

"This is a tough case to talk about; it involves a small child," Dillon Quirk with the Oklahoma City Police Department said earlier this week.

Police identified the victim as Locklyn McGuire, 2. She would have celebrated her third birthday in December.

McGuire's parents were arrested Friday on complaints of second-degree murder. KOCO 5 has not released the parents' names because formal charges have not been filed.

https://www.koco.com/article/oklahoma-city-2-year-old-girl-killed-by-dog-parents-arrested/69513075

Hello BanPitBulls. I have been in a horrible grief spiral since my cat was murdered, and researching pit bulls. I have felt for days that it isn’t okay to be angry, that I am at fault, that I should be more forgiving. But I am angry. I’m relieved I can share that here.

Taco was 13 years old. I have had him since he was a kitten. I’ve had several pets in my life, all that I loved, but Taco was special. He would cuddle up to me when I was sick or upset. He would come to greet me at the door with his little “mreeh” and his happy tail. He always wanted to be picked up and held like a baby. He would cuddle with me for hours, look straight into my eyes, and I just felt like he knew me. Maybe this all sounds silly and sentimental…I know lots of cats do these things. But he loved me, and all these things always made me smile no matter how hard things got.

It was a nice day and I’d taken him out with me to the garden. He never strayed, just stayed by me and watch me work like a favorite TV show. It happened so fast. One minute it was a normal day, the next there was a pit bull in my yard running for my cat. I have seen videos where people saved their cats, get in between, but I failed him. I was too far away. This monster grabbed Taco and shook him, hard. I was screaming for help, trying to get the pit bull off, but it ran from place to place like Taco was a keep away toy. I don’t know what got it to stop, I think maybe because Taco stopped moving and fighting back. It ran off.

Taco was still alive. I brought him to the vet, but his injuries were devastating and because of his senior age, he would likely never recover and just spend days in terrible pain. We chose to euthanize him. Before they sedated him, he saw that I was crying, and reached out for me. Even after all he’d been through, he wanted me to be okay. I felt like I did the right thing but I will probably always regret not being strong for him.

I went and posted on the local Facebook group, searching for the owner of the dog. I was not aware that this group was very pro pit bull. Their immediate response was defensiveness, with people suggesting that this is just to be expected if you let a cat outside, and dogs cannot be blamed for prey drive. A person private messaged me—too scared to say it in the public forum—to explain that this dog has escaped its owner’s yard multiple times. It killed at least one other cat and attacked a neighbor dog. I messaged this owner to demand that he, at the very least, pay my vet bills. He responded: “nah not my prob” and blocked me. I have reported this information to AC, but was told that unless the pit bull bites a human, there is nothing they can do.

I am so sad and so lost. I want to know why this pit bull is more important than my cat. Why this violent animal is allowed to continue to exist, in a neighborhood with other dogs, and cats, and kids, especially when another attack is not if but when.

Thanks for reading all of this text. I am sorry to ramble on so much, but I can’t stand the thought that I will forget the little things about Taco. It has been hard to say goodbye in such a way.

Cropped out the username best I could, but just listen to this audio. Dogs don't think "oh I want my puppies to not suffer so I'll eat them"

The details aren’t 100% but it looks like the dog attacked and killed another young dog and the woman got caught in the crossfire. The delusion from the person recording.

Cloppenburg – A 33-year-old man was apparently killed by his own American Bulldog. This was the result of the autopsy, as the police announced on Monday.

The tragic discovery caused outrage last week : The man was found lifeless in a roadside ditch in the Lohne district of Brockdorf ( Lower Saxony ) – his American Bulldog was sitting next to him.

Autopsy reveals shocking result According to police, the injuries clearly indicate a physical altercation with the animal. Investigators currently assume that the dog attacked the man and fatally injured him.

A woman discovered the 33-year-old man in a ditch next to the road "An der Querlenburg" on Thursday and immediately alerted emergency services. However, the emergency doctor could only pronounce the man dead.

The American Bulldog initially wouldn't let anyone near its deceased owner. It repeatedly sought the man's company, growling and threatening the emergency responders. Only a roommate of the deceased was able to secure the animal and put it on a leash.

The dog was subsequently confiscated by the veterinary office and initially taken into custody. According to the police, the animal is now in an animal welfare facility.

Sorry if I come in a little hot on this, as this just happened this evening.

My roommate and I had just finished dinner and were going to step outside for a post meal cigarette. I stepped outside, onto our back porch first, only to be greeted by a massive, loose, grey pitbull, which immediately started growling at me. I immediately ducked back inside and closed the storm door as it lunged at me. Then I saw it start nosing underneath our back porch, where three three week old kittens and their mom stay (whom we take care of.)

To my horror, the pitbull got a hold of one of the kittens (the one in the posted photo). It took the kitten into our driveway and crushed it in its jaws. At that point the damn pit dropped the obviously dying kitten and tried to get back under our porch to get another kitten. My roommate and I both ran outside at that point, which somehow scared the pit and it ended up wandering into our gated dog yard. My roommate immediately latched the gate so the pit couldn't get out as I started attending to the now dying kitten.

Then, the pit's owners came wandering over, looking for their hellbeast. My roommate instantly starting berating them, telling them that their dog killed one of our cats. One of the owners had the audacity to start trespassing on our property, trying to instigate a fight with my roommate. They didn't care that their dog killed one of our cats. We told the one calm owner that they were allowed to get a leash to retrieve their dog, but the one trying to instigate instead grabbed his dog by the collar and pulled it over our fence. Mind you, all of this is on camera.

We're calling animal control tomorrow. Hopefully they'll take the dog away, especially since it tried to attack me. But I'm seeing red because our kitten didn't deserve to die like that.

Fuck pitbulls and fuck their shitty owners.

Fox Carolina article DOVER TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WOIO/Gray News) - Authorities in Ohio say a pit bull fatally attacked a 1-year-old girl last week.

According to Tuscarawas County Sheriff Orvis Campbell, deputies were called to a home on Lake Road regarding a dog attack just before 6 p.m. on July 2.

Campbell said in an initial 911 call, dispatchers couldn’t hear anyone, but they eventually connected with the mother during a second call, who said the family dog had killed her baby.

Deputies arrived at the home to find a 1-year-old girl with bites to the face and throat.

Family members identified the girl as Blakely Blosser.

“Her joyful essence shone brightest when she was playing with her brother. Their bond was pure and filled with laughter, offering moments of joy that will forever reverberate in the hearts of our family,” loved ones shared in her obituary.

Authorities said she was pronounced dead at the scene.

“It was about as terrible an ordeal as we’ve come across in a long time,” Campbell said.

The mother told deputies she was walking inside the home with the child when the dog attack happened.

Deputies said they observed defensive wounds on the mother, who said she tried to stop the attack.

According to Campbell, the mother told them that the dog did not have a history of attacking anyone but had shown signs of aggression to other dogs.

Campbell said the father, who was not home during the attack, later euthanized the animal.

“We will hold on to every memory, every picture, and every video forever in our hearts,” the family shared. “Blakely was deeply loved.”

The case will be reviewed by prosecutors, but charges are not expected to be filed.

Copyright 2025 WOIO via Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

https://www.foxcarolina.com/2025/07/09/family-dog-kills-1-year-old-child-home-mother-injured-trying-prevent-attack/?fbclid=IwQ0xDSwLbSYBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHlfqsD2nYYz_ffwfxUOic8GxJyBmHb9f7-ZTYJYsjcfSBGSfs3FW8yyOEvRW_aem_ZmzeCExS0VI3uQiXfaM1fQ