The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Local News

December 7, 2009

Elderly dog attack victim succumbs to injuries

By Tina Alvey

An elderly Monroe County man who was attacked by a pack of dogs near his home Nov. 27 succumbed to his injuries Friday in a Roanoke, Va., hospital.

Lowell E. Bowden, 70, of LIndside, was attacked by four or five dogs, described by Sheriff Michael Gravely as “all of the pit bull breed.”

Four people were charged early last week in connection with the attack. Justin Ray Blankenship, 18, and his mother, Kimberly Blankenship, 51, both of Lindside, were charged with four counts each of failure to register dogs, keeping vicious dogs and not having dogs vaccinated for rabies. Mose Christian and Anna Hughes, believed to be residents of Mercer County, were charged with one count each of failure to register a dog and not having a dog vaccinated for rabies.

Monday, the sheriff said, “With Mr. Bowden’s death, we do anticipate filing additional charges, but none have been filed yet.”

The four dogs confirmed by authorities to have been involved in the attack were euthanized last Tuesday. A fifth dog awaits disposition.

Bowden’s obituary, printed in Monday’s edition of The Register-Herald, referred friends to the Web site dogsbite.org, an address owned by a national dog bite victims’ group launched in October 2007.

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