Boy, 4, killed by dogs while visiting his family in Florida. A 4-year-old boy named Logan Shepard was killed by his uncle Billy Fredericks dogs after he wandered into the yard eating ice cream as his mother Stephanie Groulx was in the bedroom talking to her sister Delores Frederick. It appears that the two pit bulls that mauled the boy to death were euthanized by their owner.
Boy, 4, killed by dogs while eating ice cream is a sad headline coming from the state of Florida.
Saturday night around 10:30 PM, 4-year-old Logan Shepard walked with his mom Stephanie Groulx to his uncle’s and aunt’s home located in Riverview near Rhodine Drive.
Stephanie Groulx was greeted by her sister Delores Frederick and her husband Billy Fredericks who were thrilled to see the toddler and gave him a bowl of ice cream.
As the child enjoyed his delicious treat in the living room, the adults went into another room to talk with the Fredericks’ teen daughter.
The conversation was cut short after the adults head loud screams coming from the backyard.
The family ran outside to find Billy Fredericks’ two pit bulls standing over Logan Shepard’s body covered with blood.
It appears that the kid wandered into the yard where he was attacked by the dogs.
The clan immediately called 911 but by the time paramedics arrived to the home, little Logan was already dead.
Two police officers conducting a traffic stop few steps from the home ran to help after hearing the screams but it was in vain.
The officers quizzed the uncle who said that prior to the family’s visit he made sure that his dogs were in crates and has no idea how they got out.
The story of “the boy, 4 killed by dogs” is stirring a very heated debate on the internet on whether people should continue to have pit bulls as pets. Once in a while they save their owners but very often they kill their best friends.
The adults in this heartbreaking story are getting slammed for leaving a 4-year-old unsupervised very late night in a home with dangerous animals.
I think Uncle Billy should spend a little time in jail so he can really think about owning pit bulls. Notice how all these pit owners say ” I was just sure they were locked up. I don’t know how they got out.” If you don’t know where or what your dog is doing, you have no business owning one. Especially a pit bull.
People who don’t own pits shouldn’t talk about their demeanor. There are children, adults, grand mothers, grand fathers, friends , neighbors, etc. mauled by dogs every single day, that aren’t pits. They just aren’t as news worthy , so you never hear about them. I have two pits that wouldn’t hurt a fly, it isn’t the breed it’s the owners. Mine are some of the most loving and loyal pets I’ve ever come across. We have had pits in my family since I can remember and have never had an incident, so don’t lump all pit’s into one category. That’s like saying since Jeffrey Dahmer, Charles Mansons, and the list goes on, where born in Ohio, so are all Ohioans serial killers, I think not.
Yea, there is no such thing as inherent behavior. 99.99% of ALL pit bulls are gentle, loving creatures…they absolutely do not have a genetic predisposition. Their genes (and genetic predisposed temperament) are no different than that of a golden retriever. You are living is a fantasy world. The reason there are so many different breeds is because humans were trying to create a dog with specific traits for a specific task. Do your homework. Study dog breeds. Your logic would suggest that a German Shorthaired Pointer and a Welsh Corgi are equal in their ability to retrieve birds or round up livestock based on how the owner raises them. All dogs were bred down to get a certain type of performing dog. A Pit Bull was bred to be a guard dog. Does this mean that EVERY Pit Bull will attack? Of course not, but their is a much higher percentage that they are likely to attack based on their breeding. How many breeds of dogs are there? Call the animal control board of any state in the U.S. Ask them how many dog attacks have been reported. Ask them what % were Pit Bull attacks. Now tell me that a Pit Bull attack is no more likely to occur than a Golden Retriever. Inherent behavior can be tempered to some extent by the owner, but the genetic instincts are still there.
Rob, pits were not breed to be guard dogs, they were breed for bull baiting and bear baiting in England. After animal protection laws in the mid 1800’s they predominately were used for fighting each other and other dogs. I personally blame mankind for allowing these dogs to be breed into such a potentially lethal animal. The fact is pit bulls and other dangerous breeds, and they are dangerous, should be treated as such and regulated because many owners aren’t capable of properly handling these dogs. My close friend has an extremely large pit and he is a teddy bear around most people , but get him near another dog, or any animal for that matter and he seems possessed and goes into kill mode….this dog has never been mistreated or trained to fight. It’s simply in his genes.
Pit bulls were also considered nanny dogs because of their calm and loving manner around children, the dog on the little rascals was a pit bull type dog. They were also used as loyal mascot to soldiers, some winning awards for bravery. So no, they are not all pre dispositioned to be vicious, they are trained to fight, if they or any dog is not raised properly, with their owner being their alpha, that dog will not be well behaved. Golden Retrievers bite more people than pit bulls.
Traits can also be bred out of a dog breed. Would you like bans on bull dogs? you know, the short stocky little dogs with turned up faces? because those are also a pit bull type dog.
Your friends dog is reactive to other dogs, this doesn’t mean he is vicious, it doesn’t mean it’s because he is a pit bull, there are many dogs of many different breeds that are reactive. My do is, he’s a med size terrier, fluffy and cute, when he sees another dog, he growls, pulls, barks etc. but when put to the test by a trainer, we learned that his behavior is not aggression, he did not try to bit or attack the other dogs when allowed to be up close to them. Chihuahuas are often reactive too. It’s no in his genes.
As for other animals, dogs have a natural prey drive, some more than others, so a cat, squirrel, rabbit etc. they will chase if they have a high prey drive, this includes all different dogs, from mutts to full bred, no breed is without a prey drive, it’s natural.
You don’t know anything about dogs, their needs, their personalities etc. hopefully if you ever own one or if you already do, you will take the time to learn the proper way to take care of a dog, what the need from you in order to be well adjusted.
These dogs that killed that little boy, the owner knew they couldn’t be around him because he put them away before the family came over, the little boy unfortunately was able to wonder into the yard in the middle of the night, that should never have happened, knowing the dogs were out there, the doors should have been locked. This is not the parents fault, we don’t have eyes on our kids 24/7 in the house. I feel awful for them, having to see their child mauled like that and I feel bad that the dogs were not properly trained to avoid such a tragedy, the biggest fault lies on the owner of those dogs, it was his responsibility to keep visitors safe if they new the dogs were dangerous and it was their responsibility to get them proper training etc.
Chuck/rob,
Delusional twist on reality much? People are mauled by other dogs everyday? Which type? Stats on that? Genetic traits don’t exist? Take your dog and attitude back to the ghetto where you both obviously belong.
Go to dog bites.org. The statistics are concerning regarding pits, they are responsible for more deaths then any other breed and more serious disfiguring attacks. Unless of course facts aren’t important to you, then by all means continue defending this harmless breed.
Keep checking you facts. Then reply with some real facts.
Chuck for all the Pit Bull owners Thank You. People go on and on about Pit Bull they need to go online and do some research before they keep flapping the gums about the breed when they know nothing about. Please people go on line and learn the facts before you keep bashing this breed of dog.
I agree with you on pit bulls…. Any dog can be vicious …However everyone I have met from Ohio IS crazy…
Let me tell you something Kelly your a F()&”/$ JOKE. YOU CAN PERSONALLY KISS MY PIT BULL LOVING A*S!!! All i have ever owed has been pitbulls. Not once has
My dogs ever been mean or upset with humans or other animals. Oh should I even mention my dogs saved my life when my house was burning down. There is a lot more to this story that is missing!!! So why dont you take your racist fu**ing ass somewhere else, yes I said racist. Cause that’s pretty damn close to what it is in dogs!!! PITBULLS!!!! You can have your little ankle biters that are more vicious than my pitbulls could ever be!!! Little kids come over to my house just to play with my dogs ages: 4,6,5,9,13 yes they wrestle and and play fetch and everything so again KELLY. KISS MY FUC**NG A*S!!!! And screw you!!
You are the kind of owner we are concerned about if you’ll curse and be so aggressive in a post how are you in real life? The dogs don’t bother me owners do; those who are aggressive raise aggressive dogs. Of course this does not mean all aggressive owners raise aggressive dogs, does it?
Like the next commenter I am also sorry for the Little Boy and his Family!
ok.pitbulls ,Staffordshire terriers or whatever you want to call them, SHOULD NOT BE ALIVE PERIOD.oh the owners are all so sad when they eat people oh I don’t know how they got out ,my lil dog never bite anyone ,oh he is a nice dog BS.kill’em all I says.Chuck,save it for the familys of the many ,many children ,older folks that have been killed by these killing predators .I want to hear you explain how sweet your dogs is as it is standing over a freshly mauled human being .
I feel sorry for the little boy and his family.
Killing machines great family pet. Owners should be hung ,when these things kill.
most ignorant comment so far.
This makes me sick! IT is NEVER the dog! Dogs are not born mean…they become mean by being taught to be mean! It just so happens, that there are a lot of loser rednecks who have pitbulls…and you can always envision what the family looks like when hearing about these attacks. Typically, the dogs are kept in cages or crates…many times the females are pregnant. How many times do you hear about this happening to an educated responsible dog owner…NEVER!
There are more dog attacks by golden retrievers and chihuaha’s each year….they just don’t get sensaionalized the way the media does with pitbulls. All this does is create the idea in the general public’s eyes of the breed as being killers! If this is the case, then why are 99% of Michael Vick’s dogs now productive loving dogs…many are special needs dogs…even after being exposed to such violence! It’s a privilege to own a dog. A lot of people do not deserve this privilege. Maybe pitbull owners should be screened…much like an adoptive family gets screened before adopting a child. I can guarantee you this would eliminate these attacks! As I watch the show “pitbulls and parollees”…and I see these people going out and rescuing abandoned and abused pitbulls…never do you see these dogs attacking these people..in spite of being frightened and hurting. Dogs are GOD’s greatest creation…and this includes pitbulls. The dogs should not have to be euthanized…it should be the owners!
Susan, god did not create pit bulls, man breed them for a specific reason. Man is responsible for pits being pits.
Susan ,get over yourself.ive seen first hand what these killers can do,and its not pretty,their breed for one thing only :TO KILL,PERIOD.
To say it is NEVER the dogs fault is a completely inaccurate and quite frankly an ignorant statement. I completely put 100% blame on the pitbull that mauled me, owner was very responsible no history of aggression fighting or abuse. I put 100% blame on the pitbull that mauled my friends 2 year old child’s face, that dog was given a great life raised from a pup and still snapped. The story is the same for many victims of pit bull attacks, they snap without warning regardless of their background.
You let the boy go outside in the dark unsupervised ?
Every time there is a dog attack, it happens to be a pit bull, they should be banned as pets, and in the mean time owners of these beasts should be put in jail if their dog injures anyone.
So no other dog attacks besides pit bulls, this is what you are saying? Really? do you really believe that?
-San Diego, 2013, Chihuahua attacked a little girl and tore apart her face.
-Salem Or. 2013, pack of 4 chihuahuas attack a 6yr old girl.
-Fresno, man attacked by chihuahuas, then committed suicide because of the humiliation over the entire event.
-2010, AL 4yr old killed by white shepherd mix
-2010 Miss. 4 yr old killed by lab mix
Other dogs involved in the death of humans, St Bernard, Malamutes, Akita’s, labs, lab mixes etc.
Do I need to continue?
NO UGH .YOU CAN STOP NOW .I DONT CARE WHAT KIND OF DOG IT IS THAT CHEWS ON PEOPLE .I WOULD SHOOT MY OWN DOG IF IT BIT ANYONE.MY GRANDFATHER TOLD WAY BACK BEFORE 1965[I WAS BORN IN 1958] WHEN A DOG KILLS CHICKENS OR SHEEP YOU HAVE TO KILL THEM,ONCE THEY GET A TASTE OF BLOOD THEY WONT STOP.IT NO DIFFERENT.SADLY THE OWNERS MOSTLY ARENT PUNISHED NEAR SEVERELY ENOUGH.NO REASON FOR PITBULLS TO BE ALIVE.
When I started dating my wife 10 years ago the first time I went to her house I met Zeke. Zeke is a Pit Bull and I thought oh Shit. I never been near the breed and all I every heard was bad bad things about them. Well after to months he was my best friend. I was all ways very careful when people or kids were around him as he is a dog and very strong.He he every went to hurt some one it would be bad. He has never showed any signs of wanting to hurt any one I had golden labs that showed more signs of being human aggressive. since then i got another Pit Bull rescue At 8 months old I got her and had to take her to the vet to get the cable removed from her chest as were it grow into her skin. She had mange and re rock in her ear that had to be surgically removed. She had worms and was male nourish. This is how People treated her. She now guards out grand children 4 and 5 years old. The 4 year old has stood on her stomach twice until she cried out and never so much as growls. We are always watch full and if anything ever happened it would be on me not the dog. Zeke was a rescue as well. He was found on the road and brought to a animal rescue center. When my wife went in she asked what dog do you have here that will not be saved. The brought her to Zeke cage and saw a * month old puppy they name scar. He had 500 stitches and cigarette burns all over him. People had used him as a bait dog to train other Pit Bulls to fit and when he was no use they left him on the road for dead. He became one of the most loyal and loving dogs you could pray for. Know 15 years old never hurt any one even after what people did to him. But I know every one says Pit bulls are bad and I say may be it just people are bad. These dogs are a loving breed please learn the real facts not what the News tells you before you keep bashing them. I understand I was one of the of you people out there talking shit about these dogs as I was going by all the stories and news reports before I met one. I pray for this family and and for the son they lost. I live in S Fl and as of yet they can not 100% eve say these dogs were Pit Bulls. Please think about this and I hope to all who read please have a great day.
http://www.dogsbite.org/dog-bite-statistics-fatalities-2014.php
31 dog fatalities in 2014 alone…23 of them pitt bulls, this makes 24. Pitbulls are responsible for 75% of fatalities by dog attack this year. The facts are enough for me to know that I will never allow my child around a pitt..not worth the risk. No animals life is more important then a humans. As a victim of a pitbull attack (broken arm 4 surgeries, week in hospital, almost lost my arm) i am truly heartbroken to know the fear and terror that went through this child mind in the last moments of his precious life. RIP Logan
The stats are not accurate, the term “pit bull” is being used to describe any dog with similar characteristics to the American Pit Bull terrier, it’s grouping based on looks. So the stats are hard to really obtain because people often misidentify the breed as a pit bull based on it’s looks, when it’s not, but they report it as so and it becomes part of these “stats”.
American bulldogs and other bulldogs have been misidentified as pit bulls.
I’ve read stories of cops shooting dogs and claiming it was pit bull (how does that make it okay?), it often turns out the dog is not a pit bull and doesn’t even resemble one. I’ve read A LOT of stories of cops shooting dogs and have seen videos of them shooting dogs who are non aggressive and basically just standing there either on leashes or trapped, it’s awful. The point is, people, including police, are quick to play the pit bull card because they are the latest dog to blame.
Also, pit bulls are a very popular breed right now, CDC shows that dog bites increase by certain breeds based on what is the most popular breed at the time..more of the same breed vs other breeds, will obviously show a higher bit incident..because there are 10x more than the other breeds..Dobermans were popular and at the time considered dangerous etc. etc.
Your SUV is more dangerous than most pit bull type dogs.
MONICA ,that is the exact reason for concealed carry.to protect your self and others.when your in danger ,don’t worry the police are just minutes away[no offense meant LEO’S]your doing the best you can .
John I will be doing exactly that very soon! I have horrible horrible flashbacks of the attack and something I often think if only I had a gun I would have been able to protect myself and possibly change the outcome. If I had to wait for the cops to arrive there is no doubt in my mind that I would be another statistic on pittbull fatality lists. I was lucky enough to have someone intervene and pry the dog from my arm but not before my arm was completely crushed.
Unfortunately due to the injuries to my arm from the pittbull attack I can not properly or safely fire a gun, maybe a small .22 but nothing more. I’m hopeful that the next surgery will improve function of my arm.
monica,sorry too hear that you are dog bite epidemic in ameerica statistic.hope you recover well.a little advice on carry conceal though.pratice ,practice ,practice,drawing the weapon,aiming and shooting as you know the beast can be on you in seconds..22 mag or .380 can be used and buy hollow points too.fmj[full metal jackets]will go thru and thru a PB.i had a very close call in april of this year in my yard w/ a PB.charged me growling and barking, looking for blood and I shot it 6 times out of 10 shots w/my S&W 9mm and sadly the dog lived.i immediately called the sheriffs office and reported it.hollow points would have made the difference.now all I carry are jhp [jacketed hollow points].my wife was in our back yard and was attacked by a boxer from across town,she was not armed and got mauled badly and had to take rabies shots.one more thing ,a fire arm is a toy, it can also install a mind set of I have a gun I’m safe ,no you are not.The warrior mind set is a condition of readiness, muscle memory and awareness of surroundings.when you practice ,do it right and left handed,just in case it latches onto your hand/arm that your brain is controlling from practice.it takes diligence and the how do I say it ? the willingness to defend yourself w/ deadly force it may not be a dog either.If you would like type in DOG SHOOTING AND INVESTIGATION IN WHEELING PRESS RELEASE. its the Livingston county sheriffs office official web page ,there you can read my story.im sorry too have maimed the PB ,I would have rather killed it out right ,that mistake wont happen again.Ive since put up a woven wire fence up/w 3 strands of barbed wire on top.my 2 boxers can run and play safely and it makes me feel safer too.sorry this is so long of a post BUT its a dangerous world out there ,equip accordingly.my oldest brother from Utah told me I needed more practice ,I saw the growling beast charging me and drew ,safety off and fired [one motion] running at me and hit 6 out of 10 shots ,I think I did good .its not like it was sitting still you know? but you get well and remember to practice ,the time come when the choice has to be made, quickly and with calmness.Gun control is being able to hit your target. never shoot all the bullets in your gun and reload just as soon as you can, there maybe more than one dog and practice with a moving target as dog will be moving.You have to lead them so impact point and dog meet.i hope you read this and gain something from it.once again speedy recovery to You.And PRACTICE,yours truly ,John S. Lisby SR
It is highly inaccurate to say ‘very often they kill their best friend”, that is simply not true. The fact is, yes dogs sometimes attack their owners and sometimes those dogs are a pit bull type breed, but they are also sometimes and more often than pits, golden retrievers and chows. Pit bulls are stronger than a lot of other dog, so yes they can do more damage than than snappy little Chihuahua that barks at every one and often bites people, but that doesn’t mean the entire breed is a bunch of vicious killers just waiting or their chance to attack, they are like any other dog. You don’t hear about the Retriever that attacks because it’s just not as newsworthy at the pit bull right now, it used to be doberman’s and rottweilers that caught all the grief in the media and no one was talking about pit bull type dogs. Many dogs are grouped under the term pit bull based on their looks/characteristics and not even their breed, this includes, the American, old english and blue blood bulldogs, also presa canerios. The only pit bull breed according the AKC is the American pit bull terrier.
The mother of this child should not be getting grief for leaving him sitting and eating ice cream alone for a brief time. I feel awful for her and her family, that poor boy was mauled to death and she had to see her child that way, that is awful, I can’t even imagine how she will ever get through that or get that image out of her head.
Where is the blame on the dog owners/keepers, that do wrong by them? It’s not the dogs that are evil, it’s the breeders/owners that make them that. Pit’s — even those that do injure — didn’t evolve into an aggressive breed by themselves. They had human intervention. The dogs aren’t the bad guys, the breeders and owners that make them that are. Don’t blame the dogs, blame the humans that made them that.
Dogs are naturally social creatures. That’s how they survive — being part of a pack. Dogs developed a symbiotic relationship with humans by helping then, not attacking them. If dogs had a predisposition to attacking humans rather than living in harmony with them, they would have been eradicated rather than domesticated. It’s the human intervention, the dog fighting, the machismo, the human egos, that have turned pits into killers. Don’t blame the dogs — blame the humans that put them there.
Just don’t condemn the breed because some people are idiots. Condemn the A@&*$ owners. Rehabs the dogs if possible.
To be blunt, I have trouble with they thought the dogs were secure . . . one, if you have reason to believe your dogs should ever need to be secure on you own property, you’re on notice to do at least 2X what you think you should. Two, if there are “secured” dogs on the property, why is a toddler wandering around late a night? Really? The problem here goes a lot deep than pit bulls.
Ive got a houseful of Pitts…and an American Bulldog….These are Strong, determined, TERRIERS, which are tenacious by nature…Do I trust my dogs round children, yes i do, do i leave them unattended around children, NO I DON’T, even a good dog, a family pet, a trusted companion can be food aggressive, dog aggressive, etc OR just be in a bad mood and not want to messed with on any given day.Do i know where my dogs are….absolutely at ALL times…..These animals ARE great family pets, but only a fool would let them be alone with a child or an elderly person or allow them to be ABLE to run loose, especially in pairs or a pack..The pack mentality takes over and next thing you know BEFORE you can act or react, someone is hurt or killed…I’M NO FOOL…the larger the dog,, the harder they bite, bully breeds bite and shake…I’ve been bitten, by my own dogs….breaking up fights between them over a SINGLE piece of dog food found on the floor..Being a responsible owner of these dogs is a 24/7/365 job. Anyone who thinks different is fooling them selves, but the same goes for ANY ANIMAL kept with teeth that can bite you or any breed of dog….they all can and will bite, attack or hurt you in some fashion unless you are constantly aware of what they are doing…Be responsible, be smart, understand the rules they play by, and you won’t have incidents like this!!!!