What was supposed to be a quiet afternoon on East Warren Street became a nightmare when an unimaginable tragedy struck a neighborhood and altered a family’s life forever.
James Alexander Smith, now a grandfather at the age of 50, and his baby granddaughter became the tragic victim of a vicious dog attack. Such a terrible event left the community struggling to seek answers to the reasons behind the death.
Just as the light of day was fading in the afternoon, neighbor Brian Kirby happened to be driving home from work when he realized that something was seriously amiss. A woman was standing in the middle of the street, crying and screaming for help. Kirby immediately slammed on the brakes and stopped his car. Shortly thereafter, the wail of police and emergency vehicles filled the air.
Although the response was quick, it was already too late. The arriving rescue team was faced with a scene of chaos and sorrow. James and his granddaughter could not be salvaged. The animals involved in the incident had to be immediately put down by the authorities in order to put an end to any further pain.
The news of the tragedy spread like wildfire. Neighbors gathered, standing by in shock, trying to comprehend how something so terrible could occur on their very own street, of all places, and involving a baby.
Brian Kirby would later explain that while he had never seen these dogs turn on a human before, they had a history of lashing out at other animals. It had only been a week since one of these dogs had killed his cat. Brian said this bothered him a great deal and wished he had acted sooner.
“Protecting animals protects the people surrounding them” too, said Kirby. “Our pets are members of our family, but they are members of our communities” too.
While authorities struggled to piece together the unknown history of the dogs, questions began to arise. Had any red flags existed? Had incidents not been brought to attention? Had these animals been properly managed? It soon began to be explored whether any incidents in pet ownership had led to this disaster. There had yet to be any charges filed.
In the aftermath, sorrow hung thick over the neighborhood. Parents clutched their children tightly. Pet owners were even more careful. There came to be a memorial for those whose lives were lost far too soon—a grandfather and a baby. It was candles, flowers, and notes expressing the sorrow of the grandfather and the baby.
The suffering that the family of James had was unbearable. His daughter, who was the mother of the baby, had the pain of losing her father and her baby all at once. The community rallied behind the family, and people from all over came to comfort them in whatever way they could.
