A teenage boy was killed by a family dog imported from Poland six months earlier.

Teenager Kill by Dog
Battle Lake, MN - A 14-year old boy was discovered dead after being attacked by the family dog, according to the Otter Tail County Sheriff's Office. The attack occurred Thursday afternoon in rural Battle Lake. Shortly after 3:00 pm, deputies responded to a welfare check at a home on Twin Lakes Road, Otter Tail County Sheriff's Lt. Keith Van Dyke said. When they arrived, they found the teenager in the yard. It was clear to the first deputy at the scene the boy was deceased, he said.

The 3-year old dog was purchased from Poland six months ago.

The family dog, a Polish long hair shepherd, was standing near the teenager's body and was "extremely aggressive" when the deputies arrived on scene, the sheriff's office said. The dog was put down due to public safety and at the request of its owner. The welfare call came from the boy's father, who has a medical condition and cannot leave the house, Van Dyke said. He called out to his son, but got no response. He immediately called the sheriff's office afterward, he said.

The Valley News reports the teenager had not been heard from for about three hours. The Otter Tail County Coroner’s Office is assisting the sheriff’s office with the investigation that remains active and open. The dog has been transported to North Dakota State University for a necropsy. The boy’s identity has not been released. The rural community of Battle Lake is 30 miles east of Fergus Falls and 175 miles northwest of Minneapolis. The population is about 930 people.

Imported Dogs & Teen Deaths

There are plenty of German shepherds, both short and long coat, in the U.S. Unless they were seeking the dog for a specific purpose, such as protection or breeding, it would be unusual to order a dog from an Eastern block country, where many dogs used in police work stem from. The victim was also 14-years old, an extremely rare age for a Dog Bite Fatality victim. In 2019, a 14-year old boy was killed by a pack of protection bred dogs owned by trainer Scott Dunmore.

Over the 16-year period of 2005 through 2020, only 6 teenagers, ages 13 to 19-years old, were killed by dogs, 1% of all Dog Bite deaths (6 of 566). Stunningly, half of those teenagers were killed in the single year of 2019. The last time we reported a fatal dog mauling in Minnesota was 10 years ago, after the death of infant Robert Hocker in Independence. In the most recent death, a rare dog breed, a rare victim age group and a rare state, equates to three rarities at once.

Afternoon Updates

The Detroit Lakes Tribune reports the boy's family raises German shepherds (thus, the imported dog). Van Dyke said the attack happened after the teenager went out to tend to the dogs. "The father was incapacitated with a medical injury so he wasn’t able to take care of the dogs himself," he said. The boy was a ninth grader at Battle Lake High School. On Friday, the school sent a letter to families informing them of his death and that counseling would be available for students.

The Star Tribune reports that the attack occurred outside the home in the 30800 block of Twin Lakes Road. There is a breeder of long coat German shepherds who lives on this block, according to web searches. Her name is Jennifer Bush and she operates LakeView Shepherds Kennel. She advertises on K-9classifieds.com (police dogs). Her breeding bitch is IPO level 3, the highest level. The culprit dog was not your average pet dog. At 3-years old, it likely held titles in protection too.

The circumstances caused by Covid-19 should never be underestimated. But typically between November 1 and December 15 of each year, there are 5 to 7 reported dog bite fatalities, not 2.

Related articles:
06/12/19: 2019 Dog Bite Fatality: Dighton Dog Attack Leaves a 14-Year Old Boy Dead...
10/25/14: 2014 Dog Bite Fatality: 7-Year Old Boy Killed by Trained Protection Dog in Wisconsin
02/19/10: 2010 Dog Bite Fatality: 11-Day Old Baby Killed by Family Husky Dog in Independence

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