What would Sheriff Andy Taylor & Barney Fife have done if pit bulls wreaked havoc in Mayberry?
Picture Daleville, Alabama, as the fictional Mayberry, North Carolina, of The Andy Griffith Show, produced by CBS from 1960 to 1968 and still airing in syndication.
Picture Gabriel Damien Barron, 16, of Daleville, as Opie, the young Ron Howard, sauntering through the woods on February 19, 2026, fishing pole over his shoulder, to the tune of “The Fishing Hole,” likely knowing nothing yet of the ethical arguments against fishing beyond, maybe, the notion of catch-and-release.
He isn’t looking for trouble, or arguments, or meaning to do anything inhumane, just doing what generations of boys have done, unaware of any danger.
(Fuqua Bankston Funeral Home photo)
Now picture six pit bulls running at large
Now picture six pit bulls running at large, appearing out of nowhere, ripping Opie apart alive––the 12th U.S. dog attack fatality of 2026, and the 12th inflicted by pit bulls.
(ANIMALS 24-7 has previously reported about the first nine and will report soon about fatalities #10 and #11.)
There isn’t any happy ending that Sheriff Andy Taylor or deputy Barney Fife can bring to the situation. All they can do is round up, quarantine, and maybe––if they get a court order allowing them to––eventually euthanize the six pit bulls.
This is why a fatal pit bull attack has never been part of a situation comedy. The perversity of the relevant laws, protecting pit bulls ahead of their victims, is no joke.
Gabriel Damien Barron was the 17th Alabaman killed by dogs since 2017. Fifteen of the victims are known to have been killed by pit bulls or close pit bull variants. The other two fatal attacks were not witnessed.
Emily’s Law does nothing useful
Emily’s Law, supposed to have made Alabamians safer from dog attacks, introduced in memory of December 2017 pit bull attack victim Emily Mae Colvin, took effect on June 1, 2018.
But it predictably did no such thing.
(See Emily Mae Colvin, 24, is record 35th U.S. pit bull fatality of 2017.)
ANIMALS 24-7 pointed out on March 26, 2018, under the headline New Alabama law increases penalties for dog attacks but does little to prevent them, that the “one free bite” exemption would render Emily’s Law ineffective.
Unfortunately, Alabama governor Kay Ivey, still in office at age 81, had already signed the bill into law a week earlier.
Why Emily’s Law did not help
Assessed ANIMALS 24-7 in March 2018, “Emily’s Law does nothing at all to preclude the breeding, sale, transfer, or adoption of pit bulls like the five who killed Emily Mae Colvin, 24, of Section, Alabama, on December 7, 2017, and the four who killed vegan blogger Tracey Patterson Cornelius, 46, in nearby Guntersville, Alabama just eight days earlier, leaving fellow vegan blogger Valeria Hinojosa in critical condition.”
This is because the killer pit bulls in each case had no history of previous reported attacks––even though they did have previous history of menacing people and killing other animals, according to witnesses who came forward after Colvin and Cornelius died.
ANIMALS 24-7 made the same points again on July 11, 2019, in Alabama mauling: “Emily’s Law” fails to protect public from pit bulls, again to no avail.
New bureaucracy protects pit bull owners
What Emily’s Law did do, summarized Alabama Media Group reporter Mike Cason, as well as creating “new penalties for owners of dogs who cause injuries,” is to “set up a process for people to file a sworn statement that a dog is dangerous, prompting an investigation by an animal control or law enforcement officer.
“If the investigator finds that the dog is dangerous,” Cason explained, “the dog will be impounded pending a decision by a municipal or district court.
“If a court determines that a dog is dangerous and has seriously injured or killed a person, the dog will be euthanized.
“If a court determines that a dog that has not seriously injured a person but is still dangerous, the court could order the dog to be euthanized or to be returned to its owner under strict conditions, including that the dog is microchipped, spayed or neutered and that the owner pay a $100 annual fee, post a $100,000 surety bond and keep the dog in a secure enclosure.
“The law is not breed-specific.”
Blueprint
Emily’s Law, in short, follows a blueprint pushed successfully by pit bull advocates in 22 other states to replace breed-specific state laws and community ordinances with legislation requiring protracted legal proceedings before any dog, no matter how menacing, can be impounded and euthanized for dangerous behavior.
Technically a dog could be impounded before a person is actually killed or injured, but only with difficulty, and only after the dog has had the opportunity to demonstrate dangerous behavior.
Excluding pit bulls from a community, or even requiring special precautions for keeping them, because of their long history of killing or disfiguring people and other animals in their first known attack, is in effect prohibited.
Fifteen pit bull attack deaths in Alabama in the eight years Emily’s Law has been in effect exhibits the consequences.
Alabama dog attack fatalities, 2017-present:
Sandra Wolfe Schaefer, 61, 9-27-2025, Oneonta, Alabama. Attacked by pit bull with husband and two other adults on 9-23-2025.
(See Daughter details mother’s slow death by pit bull in Oneonta, Alabama.)
Delores Mukerson Musgrove, 50, 7-25-2025, Adger, Alabama. Killed by pit pack attack in Bessemer, Alabama.
(See Pit bulls kill Alabama 7-year-old, Mississippi shelter worker, & L.A. electrician.)
Ember Southard Brooks, 6 months, 3-14-2025, Alabaster, Alabama. Killed by family pit bull.
(See Three generations of pit bull advocacy culminate in death of a baby.)
Francisco Batz-Lux, 42, 12-22-2024, Albertville, AL. Found dead in trailer park.
(See Pit bull victim Kingsley Wright, age 3, was 70th dog attack death of 2024.)
Renona Ewing, 62, 7-11-2024, Tuscaloosa County, AL. Breeder killed in pen by Bully XL.
(See Worst dog attack month in two years includes death in Gaza firefight.)
Mark Alan Partain, 2, 3-1-2024, New Hope, AL. Neighbor’s pit bull.
(See UPDATE: Four toddlers killed by dogs in 10 days: lessons yet to be learned.)
Beau Clark, 4, 2-26-2024, Hartselle, AL. Killed & father injured by family Olde English Bulldog.
(See “Olde English Bulldogges,” huskies, denial, & avoidable deaths of children.)
Joe Cleveland Scott, 73, 2-28-2023, McDonald Chapel, Alabama. Killed by six-dog dog pack including pit bull, boxer, and German shepherd/Malinois mixes.
(See Riverside County, California extends lead in fatal dog attacks.)
(Facebook photo)
Jonirus Davis, 31, 11-1-2023, Lowndes County, Alabama. Sanitation worker fell off and was crushed by garbage truck while under attack by pit bull.
(See Halloween 2023: three dead by pit bull in 24 hours; U.K. bans XL Bullies.)
Sharon Kaye Billups Portis, 63, 11-9-2023, Birmingham, Alabama. Killed by a pack of three pit bulls seen at site.
(See If dogs kill your mama or grandma, don’t expect the law to give a damn.)
Demarcus “Sam” Kenzie II, 27, 7-29-2023, Skipperville, Alabama. Pack attack by dogs with priors.
(See Pit bull death of 93-year-old woman ends streak of 4 killings of adult men.)
(Beth Clifton collage)
Michelle Sheeks, 44, 7-12-2022, Red Bay, Alabama, died nearly three months after being injured in April 28 attack that also led to death of Alabama Public Health Department worker Jacqueline Summer Beard.
(See Five pit bull attack deaths in five days: these were the victims.)
Jacqueline Summer Beard, 58, 4-29-2022, Red Bay, Alabama. Alabama Public Health Department worker Michelle Sheeks was fatally injured by the same six or seven pit bulls while investigating the attack the next day. Pit bull owner Brandy Dowdy was charged with manslaughter for both deaths, and while out on bond was arrested for possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia, but has yet to be tried for any of the alleged offenses.
(See Five pit bull attack deaths in five days: these were the victims.)
(Beth Clifton collage)
Frank Jerome Cobb, 70, September 21, 2021, Phenix City, AL. Killed by pit bull running at large.
(See Six pit bull-related deaths linked to “The Wickedest City in America”)
Ruthie Mae Brown, 36, Nauvoo, AL, 10-19-2020; unwitnessed pack attack.
(See Cockfights & dog attacks near Slick Lizard Road, Nauvoo, Alabama.)
Emma Mae Colvin, 24, Section, AL, killed by a neighbor’s five pit bull on December 7, 2017.
(See Emily Mae Colvin, 24, is record 35th U.S. pit bull fatality of 2017.)
Tracey Patterson Cornelius, 46, Guntersville, AL, 11-30-20217. The four pit bulls who killed Cornelius also left her fellow vegan blogger Valeria Hinojosa in critical condition.
(Beth Clifton collage)
James Derle Patterson, 63, of Dadeville, Alabama, died on May 7, 2017 from a heart attack after apparently being knocked off a small gasoline-powered scooter and being mauled by two or more pit bulls.
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Sharing with gratitude, and all the nauseatingly predictable other emotions.
Again and again and again one reads these horrifying and sickening accounts of mutilation and death at the jaws of pit bulls and the seeming indifference to their gravity by those who advocate for this breed and despairs.
This is beyond despicable and I cry in frustration and sorrow that this situation still does not move in the direction of more forceable legal action.
Thank you for continuing to cover these brutal accounts. Advice is welcome on how the outcry for the humane curtailment of this breed by those who are also animal advocates, but who despair that this gruesome issue does not move beyond impotent laws, is appreciated.
Much appreciated, Elaine. First of all, the multitude of animal advocates who have had it up to here with animal advocacy being hijacked by pit bull advocacy need to make their views known to the national animal advocacy organizations, forcefully, by withholding donations and telling them why. Second, the points that ANIMALS 24-7 made in 15 years ago Michael Vick’s pit bulls killed the humane movement, and in many other articles, need to become much better recognized among grassroots animal advocates, which requires those animal advocates who recognize pit bull advocacy as the antithesis to actual animal advocacy, to speak up instead of all too often being bullied into silence by pit bull advocates who typically do nothing whatever on behalf of any other animals.
shoot all pitbulls. & hurry before they kill anyone else.. they’ve literally killed thousands of people.
The editors of ANIMALS 24-7 have never advocating killing all pit bulls, but we do advocate breed-specific dog sterilization legislation strong enough and enforced well enough to eradicate “game dog” genetics from the dog population.
The human death toll from pit bulls is not yet in the “thousands,” but the 785 known pit bull attack deaths in the U.S. and Canada since 1982, as of today, are 785 too many, and pit bulls have also permanently disfigured at least 6,500 Americans and Canadians.
With gratitude for articulating the advice I sought and will enthusiastically take. As a long time supporter of so many advocacy groups, I will indeed clarify my position as suggested and hope others who feel as I do, do the same!
While I have done so in the past, I will do so more energetically and with greater fervor as the increase and ferocity of these attacks is now totally intolerable.
We must make our position known. Thank you!