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ANIMAL WATCH - Mynovia Tinsley, 43, was found dead at her home in Atlanta, GA, on February 24, with her body and that of nine dead dogs reportedly in the bloody room, after alleged posts by her husband were identified on Facebook advertising Pit Bull puppies for sale,
The cause of her death was released after police officers responded around 9 a.m. to the home in the 1400 block of Anderson Valley Drive. Six more dogs were reported also in the house.
FATAL MAULING CALLED “AN ACCIDENT”
The incident was first reported as Mynovia being mauled by five “rescue” dogs and was called “an accident.”
But, the final report by the DeKalb County Medical Examiner's Office ruled the 43-year-old woman died as the result of “exsanguination (severe loss of blood) due to multiple penetrating and avulsive injuries." In other words, she bled to death after deep and vicious dog bites.
Animal Enforcement Services later confirmed that all of the dogs belonged to the victim and her husband. Fox-5 Atlanta reported that the “LifeLine Animal Project,” which is the animal-sheltering organization for the area, confirmed it “received 15 dogs connected to the Snellville case.”
DeKalb County dispatchers reported that, “On Tuesday morning officers were sent to the Anderson Valley Drive home in reference to dogs. When officers with the DeKalb County Police Department arrived, they were then dispatched to a ‘person down’ call and located the victim, Mynovia, and the dogs “covered in what appeared to be blood.”
They joined Animal Services’ employees and worked to gather all the animals from the scene.
Several commenters did not believe this was just a breeding operation, although several said they had seen it listed as such on Facebook. One commenter opined, “Sounds like it's more. That's a dog fighting environment. Meaning tied up. Made to be aggressive. They don't love them dogs.”
But Tinsley was described by family as a “bright and loving force. Her family was said to be the center of her life and that she had a “bubbly” personality.
She was reportedly a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor and Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist in North Carolina, a Licensed Professional Counselor in Georgia, and a Certified Professional Counselor in Nevada.
There were also six other dogs in or around the home, according to officials. All 15 dogs have been surrendered and are being quarantined for at least 10 days to check for rabies. “We trust that a complete investigation will bring clarity and truth,” the family said. “Mynoviah deserves that. Our family deserves that.”
They are also asking for prayers, compassion and privacy especially for her mother and those closest to her..
SHELTER OVERCROWDED AND CAN’T USE FOSTERS
“Lifeline” told reporters that it is now more than 40 dogs over its humane capacity. and must find placement — permanent or temporary fosters — for more than 40 other dogs by Thursday at 7 p.m. to free up critical space at the shelter.
However, that still means the aggressive dogs would have to be kenneled together, which is obviously unwise and potentially unsafe.
There was no mention yet of obtaining a release by the victim’s husband or a responsible family member to humanely euthanize the dogs. However, Lifeline has a sensible philosophy regarding “No Kill,” which can be read here.
“Fostering” any of these dogs is a bad idea.
It is unlikely that responsible families would take dogs involved in this fatal event, nor would it be a wise decision for the shelter to take the liability for such placement, However, with many prominent humane organizations tugging on the heartstrings (and wallets) of animal lovers and urging adoption of this “misunderstood” breed, wisdom can too often be overcome by the idealistic desire to “save” them.
“We do not know how these dogs and been treated or cared for. There is no way to tell if they were regularly fed or became aggressive over food because they were hungry,”said one commenter.
Authorities do not know if all or a particular dog can be identified as actively joining in the attack. If the comments about dog fighting are accurate, it is likely they are all bred from the same bloodlines, which means there is no way to tell which will demonstrate “gameness”-- the propensity to fight and kill other dogs and neighboring animals, and to potentially be a danger to its own family.
LIFELINE SHELTERS’ PHILOSOPHY
Lifeline shelters are the largest in this area and profess a sensible approach based upon the need to put families, community, and public safety first.
This philosophy can involve taking the courageous action to assure that dogs proven to have been involved in vicious behavior or a fatal attack are provided a “peaceful sleep.” The shelter should not risk them being released where they might cause harm to families or other pets, nor should they be taken by those who will capitalize on their potential to harm or kill in ruthless dog-fighting operations.
Pit Bull Fatality Maps
Statistics gathered over the past 20 years show that Georgia ranks #3 in fatal dog attacks across the U.S.,, according to DogsBites.org, with only California and Texas surpassing it.
Phyllis M. Daugherty is a former Los Angeles City employee and a long-time animal welfare advocate. A contributor to CityWatchLA, she is known for her investigative reporting on animal shelter operations, misuse of public funds, and the dangers of poorly regulated pet adoption policies. She is a strong proponent of public safety in animal control, advocating for stricter oversight of aggressive dog breeds, especially pit bulls, and for breed-specific legislation.)
