At least five out of six babies killed by dogs in 2026 were killed by pit bulls
STATESBORO, Georgia; ANDERSON, South Carolina––The 2026 record pace of fatal dog attacks, especially pit bull attacks, slowed slightly during the first half of May, but remains ahead of the 2025 pace, when dogs killed 84 Americans, 64 of whom were killed by pit bulls.
Pit bulls during the first two weeks of May 2026 killed two babies in reported incidents. Other dogs are not known to have killed anyone.
The deaths of the two infants brought the total number of U.S. fatal dog attacks for the year to 32, 23 by pit bull. Of the six children two years of age and younger who have been killed by dogs in 2026, five were killed by pit bulls; the sixth by dogs not identified.
Thirty-two dog attack fatalities would have been a record for a full year as recently as 2011.
Pit bulls last killed fewer than 23 people in a full year in 2008.
Baby was born hydrocephalic
The first May 2026 pit bull victim, Lillian Drue Bradford Harris, of Statesville, Georgia, “was diagnosed with hydrocephalus while I was still pregnant with her—a condition that causes fluid to build up in the brain,” her mother Jasa Marie Harris posted in a June 2025 appeal for funds to help the family cope with a scheduled surgery.
Specifically, Jasa Harris wrote, “After months of monitoring, her neurosurgeon has scheduled a brain surgery called an endoscopic third ventriculostomy on July 29, 2025 to relieve the pressure in her brain.
“We are scared, but hopeful,” Jasa Harris said. “Her healing process could take a few weeks to return to normal routines, and up to three months for full recovery.”
Originally from Ausbach, Hessen, Germany, Jasa Harris added, “I stay home full-time with the kids,” including two older siblings, “and her dad Justin Bradford is our only source of income. He will need to take time off work for the hospital stay and to help care for our other two children—one of whom starts school on August 1, just days after Lillian’s procedure.”
Then a pit bull crushed her brain
As well as the three children, the family appears to have had two cattle dogs and a pit bull.
Lillian’s surgery was apparently successful, but quite a lot else appears to have happened over the next ten months.
On February 2, 2026, Jasa Harris posted, “Someone remind Justin Drew Bradford he has a baby, please. Thank you.”
On May 2, 2026, Jasa Harris posted, “Got engaged.”
On May 3, 2026, according to an appeal posted by Porsche Hamm, apparently a close friend or relative, on behalf of Jasa Harris, “Her one year old daughter, Lillian, suffered a horrific mauling by a pit bull. Lillian, who has battled hydrocephalus from birth and always been a fighter, is now fighting for her life.
“Lillian is currently in a medicated induced coma, and in critical condition. Jasa Harris is a single mom of three who recently made a move to help better the lives of her children.”
Died on Mother’s Day
Added Porsche Hamm several days later, “This isn’t a update I ever wanted to give, But, unfortunately sweet baby Lilly is brain dead and never expected to wake up. Her mother, Jasa, made the decision no mother should have to make and took her off life support.
“The funds we have been donated will go toward Lillian’s funeral costs,” Porsche Hamm said.
Meanwhile, on May 6, 2026, Jasa Marie Harris posted, “I need funds asap. I have a rescue willing to take Ruby and Hotshot temporarily and she needs to build an area for them.”
A video link showed two cattle dogs chasing a stick and one pit bull standing quietly beside the man throwing the stick.
Lillian Drue Bradford Harris died on Mother’s Day, May 10, 2026.
On June 6, 2026, ANIMALS 24-7 was informed that Lillian Drue Bradford Harris was attacked in Partlow, Virginia, and died in Richmond, Virginia.
“It was the new fiance’s dog,” ANIMALS 24-7 was told, by a source relaying information from Justin Bradford. The victim was “with her mother when this happened. He [the new fiancé] is in prison and they didn’t even know the dog well enough to have any confidence that the dog was safe.”
(Facebook photo)
Babysitter was also sitting pit bull
Five-month-old Dean Everett Gross, son of Anderson, South Carolina residents Thomas and Natalie Gross, who are respectively a nurse and a teacher, died on May 14, 2026, a day after his parents “asked their neighbor to babysit while they ran an errand,” reported Hallie Shuler, Isabel Martin, and RipLey Simone for WSPA News in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Anderson County Coroner Greg Shore told the WSPA News team that “The babysitter was also watching a friend’s dog at the time of the incident.
“At some point in time, shortly after [Dean’s dad] left, she was going to let the dog out, and she was holding the baby,” Shore explained. “When she released the dog, the dog attacked her and grabbed the baby, causing fatal injuries to the baby.”
“Dog responded wildly when she was holding baby”
Elaborated Shore, “She was sitting the dog for a friend and the dog just responded wildly when she was holding that baby. So, [we] just don’t know what was going through the dog’s mind, but it’s just a tragedy. She graciously agreed to sit for the dog. The owner of the dog was on vacation, and then the neighbor asked would she watch the little boy. Never in a million years she would have thought that the dog would have attacked them.”
After attacking both the baby and the sitter, who was also injured, the dog escaped from the home, reportedly causing the Anderson City Police Department to post a bulletin seeking “assistance with locating a blue and gray American pit bull,” with a blue collar.
“If seen, do not approach and call,” the bulletin said.
Dean Everett Gross “was life flighted to Prisma Greenville, but died one day later from his injuries,” the WSPA News team recounted.
The pit bull “is now in custody at Anderson County P.A.W.S. Due to the ongoing investigation, shelter officials cannot comment on the dog’s status,” the WSPA News team report ended.
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Again unable to share this to “that platform.” One wonders when, or more correctly IF, people will ever learn.
With gratitude and exasperation.
TIME and TIME again advocates and other people of conscience have viewed or read- for DECADES – of these gruesome statistics, and most have been astounded and stunned that so little has been done to curtail the reasons this keeps occuring.
One grows ever sickened and yet feel it is hopeless to plead that this nightmare cannot be resolved by animal advocates on both side of the divide, let alone by legislators.
Are we forever doomed by intransigent advocates who refuse to be moved to at least agree to examine these vile and expensive injuries and wretched deaths more seriously?
If we fail as human beings to address this hellish situation, then how can we ever hope to address political or cultural divides that are also tearing away at the fabric of civility ?
Thank you for continuing to highlight this horror, as perhaps one day it might penetrate that it is just that and must be ended in a humane manner.