OlderVing Rhames’ Deadly Dog Attack
A 40-year-old male caretaker was mauled to death by two dogs — both weighing about 200 pounds — at the home of Ving Rhames today, authorities said.
The man had numerous bites on his body and died at the scene of the attack, which was reported about 7:15 a.m.
“He appears to have suffered a number of injuries as a result of the dog mauling,” Lt. Ray Lombardo said. “There were dogs loose on the property. Those dogs have been captured by animal regulation (officers).”
“Both those dogs are mastiffs; they’re rather large,” Lombardo added. “Normally we understand they are pretty friendly dogs. But, you know, there are occasions where dogs will turn on their owners or their caretakers, and this looks like a tragic accident.”
Rhames, 46, was not home at the time of the attack — he was on-location in Bulgaria shooting The Tournament. The actor is best known for roles in Pulp Fiction and Mission: Impossible.
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That is so sad!
Oh NO! That poor man who, died so horribly! THAT’S AWFUL!! What a way to go. That is so weird. Bull Mastiff’s are usually pretty friendly. But, letting dogs run loose even if, it’s on you’re property or not it’s not okay. You never know what can happen. Dogs do spook easily. Lawsuit’s are going to fly like, fly’s stick to sheeit!
That is so sad and I bet Ving is pretty upset that his employee died. Very sad for the caretaker’s family as well.
That is too horrible. I feel for the Man’s family.
that’s very sad.
They are leaving something out with this story. I have 2 mastiffs and they run freely on my property. I have a German Sheperd too, and she is the meanest of the 3. I don’t believe these dogs will attack for no reason. I am not buying that. He had to do something to those dogs to set them off. For me, if someone doesn’t want to be greeted by my dogs, the solution is simple. “Stay the hell off my property!” If they feel I am being threatened, they will react. And my dogs will give fair warning when they are spooked. The manner that they hold their ears and their tail. There are no bad dogs, there are bad owners. I am sorry this man lost his life, but what did he do to these dogs to make them attack? It is easy to blame the animal in such a situation, the only defense they have for themselves is to bite someone if they feel threatened.
I wonder if he had a security camera that caught what happened? Otherwise it’s all going to be speculation.
I have security cameras on property. Yeah, when you own big dogs such as these and attempt to keep them in a free environment, I feel it is a must. People are cruel to animals, animals can sense that in a person. When my dogs respond to someone in a defensive manner, I always take notice of that person. I would trust their first instinct over my own anyday.
This is terrible news. If people can’t take care and be responsible of their pets, they shouldn’t have them in the first place.
I think those dogs should have been put down on the spot. To kill a human being, these dogs malled him, could have been any one, a child
are Bull mastiffs not use to hunt and kill large wild cats?
they should have been muzzled, two or more dogs make a pack and they tend to do as the leader of the pack wishes. What a sad story
Nevertheless, Dogs need training! Being as wealthy as MR. Rhames he, should have paid extra to, have trained dogs if, he wishes to let them run loose. Dog’s can go hair trigger anytime! It could be the slightest thing that, sets them off. NOT WHAT A PERSON DOES! What if this were a child instead? Bad enough a poor adult suffered pain until the very end. Tragic and hartbreaking! It was so unnecessary!
More money than brains, once again. His dogs were gorgeous, but they had had their ears clipped, were HUGE and he posed with them in multiple photos. “Trophy dogs”. Looks like the same issue of celebrities buying dogs because they have the cash to do so. Same as Paris and Britney with their multiple little chihuahuas. More cash than brains. Then the dogs are left “home” while the actors run around the country. Some innocent man lost his life, probably tending to the grounds or house.
Sheeit! I’m harmless. When, I visited my brothers for 4th of July outting last year he, bragged about the 2 nicest Golden Retriever’s he had. Okay, I don’t know if, one of the dogs. This one happens to be female. I don’t know if, she smelled cat on me or what or the rag. I was on my menstraul cycle. I had 2 cats @ the time but, my brother has a cat too so, that cat theory is gone. The female dog wanted to attack me. Good thing my husband and brother stepped in or, I would have been chewed man! I’m harmless man! I wouldn’t hurt a flea. I love animals. This is the first thing outta my brother’s mouth and his wife. Not are you okay but, “WHAT DID YOU DO?!” Nice huh? I didn’t do a goddamn thing! I just walk like I normally do. These are Golden Retriever’s. Supposed to be the nicest family pet! It goes to show you. YOU NEED TO EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED WHEN, OWNING A DOG OR MANY DOGS!!!
Those dogs are very big!
Okay I don’t have dogs but isn’t ANY dog potentially dangerous?
I am calm around most dogs but I know how to read them and see which ones should not be apprached. I am saying this because when my friend walks her dog who is a golden retriever by the way, occasionaly we bump into people who are so endlessly scared by dogs that it is so frightning that it is funny.
that big yellow mastiff has the body of a lion. just look at the handler trying to fit his massive body into that small crate. i bet they were worth thousands,as mastiffs usually are, but who cares, it’s soo sad that the man died. i bet the dogs were destroyed too. i agree that it’s odd for the man who had been working with the dogs for years just suddenly got attacked. sometimes dogs that attack have brain issues. it happened to my sister’s friend’s dog. it attacked her husband out of the blue and they found out the dog had a brain tumor and was later put to sleep.
They are saying now the man may have had a heart attack. It could be the dogs were trying to drag him to safety. We don’t have the full story and may never. Bullmastiffs are generally pretty laid back and loving with their caretakers, etc.
that’s horrible
They have updated the story and the man died from a heart attck. And also it should be pointed out what type of mastiffs they were, there are several types of mastiffs and a couple are extremely aggressive and some are very very passive and breed to raise children. And while any dog even a small dog can turn on someone, even its owners I just think this should be pointed out so that it is not put out there that the entire breed is aggressive or something.
F@CK! It’s a wonder the man had a hart attack! I think anybody would having, you’re fleash torn and ripped to shreds by two 200 pound dogs! Evidence, will be found out. If, you read the story the, man had multible wounds and injuries. If, he would had collapsed with a hart attack the dogs, would have dragged him. Why all the wounds then? No, this was a vicious attack. People do not want to accept the truth that, a man was tortured to death by dogs. Ohh!! The POOR dogs were provoked somehow. Poor doggies!!~Jeez! That should have not happpened PERIOD!
Victim of Ving Rhames dogs may have died of a heart attack
Atlanta, GA 8/3/2007 10:42 PM GMT (FINDITT)
The man that was believed to have been mauled by actor Ving Rhames’ dogs could have had a heart attack, police say. The man’s wounds, which are on his face and neck only, don’t appear to have been fatal. Police speculate that the man could have had a confrontation with the dogs and been running from them when he had a heart attack and died.
The 40-year-old man was the caretaker of the four dogs and lived at the house. He had been employed there for two years and fed the dog’s everyday. The three Mastiffs and one Bulldog were taken into custody by the Animal Control and will be held over the weekend.
Police say the dogs where very friendly and they where not aware of any previous complaints about them. Rhames probably won’t be charged with anything because police believe it was a “pure accident.” Blood samples will be taken from the dogs to determine whether the dogs are infected with rabies or other diseases.
Police said that the man appeared to be trying to get away from the dogs and died sometime early this morning after possibly having a heart attack. Rhames, who starred with Tom Cruise in all three “Mission Impossible” films, is out of the country.
Anyone with a Mastiff or pitbulls is an idiot. Why have a dog that can kill you? Or someone else? Because you’re insecure, small, petty, pathetic little people.
Those dogs should be shot and Mr Rhames should be charged, jailed, and heavily fined.
If a pitbull or mastiff even growls at me I’ll shoot it. Sheppards and dobermans too.
It could be that the gentleman had a heart attack and then the dogs were trying to help him or something other than an attack.
I wonder if it can be proved either way?? Dogs don’t usually bite the hand that feeds them.
@ Magnus! People are stupid to have dogs like that. I mean I like dogs but, be reasonable dudes! A dog like Rachel Bilson’s is adorable and you don’t need to be afraid the dog is going to bite you’re freakin hand off!
Right On Magnus! You got a Mastiff, pitbull, sheppard or dorberman that growls in my direction I’m, going to shoot the motherf@cker!
People who just jump to conclusions re other people who have certain breeds of dogs are severely misinformed. A first start for those too lazy to read any dog books would be to watch Animal Planet, specifically ASPCS New York branch, where they regularly have to save pitbulls from being treated VERY badly, all pathetic and cowering, often from idiotic people who bought them and tried to ‘turn’ them into the often stereotypical image of pitbulls, or substitute whatever breed of dog you’re prejudiced against.
I feel very sad for the deceased man and his family.
Re the poster who said ANY dog can be dangerous, you’re too right it’s not funny. We never hear of a man being bitten by chihuahua (or any other smaller breed) coz it doesn’t make ‘news’. Anyone who works at vets or any animal places know that smaller dogs actually have been recorded as being more involved in biting events, it’s just a)most don’t think of reporting them coz it’s a little dog, b)it’s usually a family dog and some stupid child left unattended by the parents stick a pencil into the dog’s ears - has happened to a dachsund, was put down coz it bit the boy who did it, the boy only confessed much much later, so not coz the dog was ‘dangerous’, c)a lot of people are treated for cat injuries as well but same coz it’s a small animal and generally speaking more people are more ok being badly scratched and bitten by cats/chihuahuas coz the small jaw size = not worth reporting. Obvious huh? :)
If the man was their caretaker, I find it very strange that the dogs would’ve attacked unprovoked.
I really dislike people who keep perpetuating that certain dog breeds are dangerous just because. Here’s an idea: go educate yourself and go to a reputable dog shelter or vet practice and ask to meet well-brought up dogs of said breeds. By well-brought up I mean they’re fed well, taken care of well, owners provided proper training and train them with love and not some misguided idea that beating a dog would turn it into a ‘guard’ dog. Ask any police dog trainer: they respond to training because it’s done with kindness, consistency and rewarding the correct behavior, NOT by beating it!
If so-called shepherds are dangerous then explain LOGICALLY and RATIONALLY how properly-trained police dogs can go from running and catching a bad guy armed with a knife and a gun (WITHOUT breaking the perp’s skin, just holding onto the perp’s clothing), to literally 15 minutes later visiting a primary school where an autistic child goes up to the dog bounding and giving it a big bear hug, and yet the dog knows and understands that the child is no threat, so it calmly sits there and lets the girl hug him and licks her face. True story, in the States, courtesy of Animal Planet. Gorgoues, awwww-inducing! :)
Fear of the unknown is often the cause of very misinformed comments re breeds, just like any comment by people regarding any group of other people they deem ‘other’. For every breed these people perceive as dangerous, there are tons more where dogs of those breeds are actually well-behaved and don’t maul people. I understand that tabloid ‘news’ type only report when there’s mauling/biting involved coz it’s just not that sensationalized when a shepherd/dobermann actually helps a blind person. Yes, they are also used for guiding people, also for helping find trapped people, etc. The only reason more labradors are used is due to their image.
Seriously peeps, dogs can tell when you’re already feeling iffy due to their breed. People don’t realize how much they give away through their body language that animals can pick up on.
I have my periods and my dogs don’t behave any differently when I do, nor do other dogs at the parks I go to, or the neighborhood cats I regularly catch up with for that matter.
With any sensatinalized animal story, watch out for what’s being left out. If you a brain at all surely that’s not a difficult thing to do! :)
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