Portsmouth couple charged after Alapaha American bulldog "show dog" mauled 5-year-old

VIRGINIA -- A bulldog recognized as the "Best Beast in the East" mauled a 5-year-old girl last month in the Simonsdale neighborhood, according to court documents.

Phillip Lee Butler II, 36, and his wife, Amanda, were charged with having a vicious dog after the Sept. 20 attack on Kearney Way.

Following a search of the couple's home last week, police filed several additional felony charges against Phillip Butler.

Among them: two counts of maliciously shooting into an occupied building, two counts of reckless handling of a firearm and one count of distribution of marijuana.

A hearing on the felony charges is set for Oct. 16 in General District Court. A trial on the vicious dog charges is set for Nov. 30.

According to court documents, the "show dog," an Alapaha American bulldog named Yuma, attacked the girl about 9 p.m. while she was playing outside with other children. The dog ran out of the Butler's home without provocation, the probable-cause summary said.

She suffered "deep lacerations to her face and other lacerations and bruising on her arms, legs, back, torso and buttocks," according to a search warrant affidavit.

The girl was taken to Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters in Norfolk, where she was seen by a plastic surgeon.

The affidavit indicated Butler, a father of one, posted videos on Facebook of attack dogs, including one the day before Yuma bit the child. A witness to the attack on the girl told police Butler routinely walked Yuma wearing a harness that read, "Trained attack dog, do not touch" or something similar, the affidavit said.

The search warrant indicated police seized two "do not pet" collars, as well as a bamboo clatter stick, an "agitation whip," other miscellaneous training aids and four "Best Beast in the East" awards.

 

Police also requested a search warrant of the dog owner’s Facebook account. The court document suggested the page contained alarming posts including many pictures of a dog and videos of attack dogs, including one where a bait dog had been attacked by Yuma requiring stitches.

While searching the Butler's home, police also found evidence of other crimes. Among other things, they spotted "several bullet holes throughout the location," court documents said. Amanda Butler told police her husband had repeatedly gotten angry and fired shots inside the house with a .45-calber handgun, court documents said. She also said he stabbed a closet door with a knife.

Amanda Butler estimated the incidents began in 2002, court documents said.

Inside the Butler's garage last week, police located a hydroponic marijuana grow operation, court documents said.

(The Virginian-Pilot - ‎Oct 7, 2015‎)