Parents for Dog Bite Awareness

🕊️💔

On September 25, 2024, tragedy struck in Cardwell, Missouri.

It was a hot, quiet afternoon when 𝗝𝗶𝗺𝗺𝘆 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿, a 72yo man, husband, brother, and kind dog rescuer, lost his life in the most devastating way imaginable. 

After he fell and was unable to get back up, he called out to his wife for help. She tried her best to lift him but couldn’t. Then, the dogs noticed his weakness. 

Instead of finding comfort or protection, Jimmy was met with violence from the very dogs he had rescued. One of the dogs, a “mixed pitbull breed” with the telltale appearance and behavior of a bloodsport lineage, attacked him while he lay defenseless on the ground. 

Deputies arriving on the scene found Jimmy covered in severe injuries to his arms, face, and throat. Despite the efforts of first responders, his life could not be saved.

Jimmy had a heart for rescue. Like so many well intentioned people, he wanted to give dogs a chance. But tragically, the growing rescue rehoming pipeline has blurred the lines between pets and purpose bred fighting animals. 

People with open hearts are adopting or fostering dogs they believe to be safe, often reassured by rescue narratives that minimize risk or outright lie about breed traits. Too often, the result is another name added to the heartbreaking list of fatalities.

This is not the first time someone has been killed by a bloodsport breed during a medical emergency:

• Elderly owners have been fatally mauled after fainting or suffering seizures.

• Individuals in wheelchairs, recovering from surgery, or managing other health conditions have been attacked when their vulnerability triggered the genetic fighting response.

• In case after case, the dogs were described beforehand as “gentle,” “never aggressive,” or “wonderful companions” until the day they were not.

These attacks are not unpredictable accidents. They are the tragic outcomes of selective breeding for centuries of pit combat. 

Unlike other breeds, bloodsport dogs were specifically engineered to escalate to violence once a victim is down, to persist despite resistance, and to ignore normal social signals that would otherwise end conflict. When a medical event leaves a person unable to defend themselves, these traits can turn an ordinary health crisis into a fatal mauling.

Jimmy’s death is not just one family’s loss, it is a reminder of the wider public safety crisis we face. Until our laws acknowledge the unique risks posed by fighting breed dogs, more vulnerable people (children, elderly individuals, and those living with health conditions) will pay the price.

Today, we honor the life of 𝗝𝗶𝗺𝗺𝘆 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿. A man who wanted to help, whose kindness was repaid with brutality engineered by human hands generations ago. His story must not be forgotten, because behind every statistic is a name, a family, and a legacy stolen.

Rest in peace, Jimmy. May your memory fuel the fight for truth and safety. 🕊️

#DogBiteAwareness #dba #PublicSafety #EndTheCycle #HonorTheVictims