Saturday, January 7, 2017

Texas: Mom whose son was attacked and killed by neighbor's pit bulls back in 2009, writes a heart-wrenching post

TEXAS -- On June 15, 2009, Serenia Clinton faced every mother's worst nightmare. 

Although her son Justin was 10 years old, like all moms, I'm sure she still thought of him as her little boy, her baby.

On that summer day, Justin decided to skateboard over to a friend’s house to play, just as he often did. He was a country boy from Rusk County, Texas, and she thought he'd be fine - as always.



He passed a nearby home, where two pit bull mixes had escaped from their fenced-in yard and were roaming around. Justin had been around these dogs before, had played with them, and thought he had nothing to fear. But on this day, the two dogs did not see Justin as the little boy who petted and played with them and treated them kindly. They saw him as prey. 

The two pit bulls chased Justin and attacked him. Justin weighed just 63 pounds. The pit bulls weighed in at 88 and 70 pounds. 

Veronica Tatum stated that she saw the dogs attacking the boy from across the street at the local school and literally ran out of her flip flop shoes to come to Justin's rescue. She used Justin's skateboard to beat the pit bulls until she was able to get them back into their fenced yard area and tried to do CPR on Justin, but it was too late. He was bleeding too badly from all of the wounds and passed away before he could even be taken to the hospital.

More than seven years have passed and I'm sure Justin's mom never stops missing him, wondering if anything else could have been done, what her little boy would be like today - getting his driver's license, going out on dates, going to the prom, playing on the varsity football team, getting ready for college entrance exams.  To those of us who never knew him, Justin is frozen in time in photographs - always an adorable 10 year old boy. I hope his family can someday be at peace, knowing Justin is with God and is watching over them.


Serenia Gooch Clinton posted on Facebook
Yesterday at 12:08am · Laird Hill, TX ·

Justin's story

Hi... my name is Justin Clinton. I'm only 10 years old. I am a regular kid... I love football, baseball and riding my skateboard. I can't wait until I'm bigger, so I can get a real football uniform and play for my school!.... But, I am only 10 years old.

I make really good grades in school, my Mom said I could grow up to be anything in the world! I want be a pro football player or a fireman...who knows? I may cure a disease or be President one day, but I'm only 10 years old.

I guess one day I can be a Dad, have a wife and a couple of kid's...man I would play with them all day!...But I'm only 10 years old.

I will always be only 10 years old because of me getting killed by the dogs.

See..my friend lives down the street and he has 2 dogs that we play with all the time... they are pit bulls...but they love me and I love them back!

One day, after school... I grabbed my skateboard and took off to see my friend. I was riding by his house and the dogs were trying to come play with me I guess... they busted through the fence gate. Next I was knocked off my skateboard Hard!


Then I just remember they were all over me on that quiet oil top road where no one could hear me screaming. My neck! My chest! They are killing me...and I am only 10 years old!

I think I went to sleep for a little while, 'cause when I woke up they were dragging me into the woods...I am so cold. Then one of our neighbors grabbed my skateboard and was hitting the dogs...they ran away. She picked my head and shoulders up in her arms and she was crying...did they hurt her too? There is a lot of blood on her! I saw her eyes and that's the last thing I saw...but...I'm only 10 years old!!!

I'm supposed to see a lot more stuff!! My proms, graduation, my bride, my kid's.... but my life slowly fades from me... and I'm only 10 years old... I didn't even live long enough to get that football uniform... I thought those dogs were my friends... what did I ever do to them?

Well... I need to go now, I have to watch over my Mom and Dad and sister... oh no.. they are crying again...I have a big job to do, watching over them. I don't mind... but I am only 10 years old!

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