Attraction to exotic dogs was fatal Shawna Willey's expensive but beloved Presa Canarios grew big and dangerous. By BRADY DENNIS, Times Staff Writer Published August 22, 2006

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NEW PORT RICHEY - Mary Johnson spent Monday trying to gain custody of her two grandchildren and enrolling them in Pasco County schools.

She prepared to decorate her guest bedroom in a horse motif - 9-year-old Tyra loves horses - and to convert her workout room into a bedroom for 14-year-old Trey.

All that, and still she has to bury her daughter.

Shawna Willey, Johnson's 30-year-old daughter and the children's mother, died Friday after a family dog mauled her outside her home in Coral Springs.

"I never liked the idea of her having the dogs," Johnson said.

But Willey, who lived in Tampa until moving to South Florida several years ago, adored her canines.

She had a pit bull named China for about eight years. And last year, she spent thousands of dollars on two Presa Canarios, which she had shipped from a breeder in the Canary Islands.

She named them Clara and Xeno.

Willey's best friend, Dianne Greenhalgh, said Willey showered the dogs with affection and felt more secure with them around.

"They were like an extension of her family," Greenhalgh said.

The dogs had their own bedroom, their own crates, their own toys. Willey cooked them separate meals and bathed them weekly.

But while Willey and her children loved the pets, the dogs terrified others.

"They were just getting too big, too fast," Greenhalgh said. She told her friend, "You need to get them on a plane and send them back to Spain."

Willey just laughed.

But recently, Xeno grew more aggressive. The dog growled at Willey's longtime boyfriend, Lazaro Rivero, and he suggested they find another home for it.

Willey said no. That decision proved fatal.

Authorities said she was giving Xeno a bath Friday in the back yard of the upscale Coral Springs home she shared with Rivero, when the 120-pound dog attacked the 120-pound woman.

It ripped open Willey's jugular, punctured her trachea and tore into her arms, back and side. One law enforcement official called it a "surreal scene."

Willey's 9-year-old daughter, Tyra, witnessed the attack and ran to a nearby home for help. But help came too late.

Officers arrived to find the dog standing over Willey's body. They said the dog became "aggressive" toward officers, and they shot and killed it.

Presa Canarios can cost as much as $4,000. Friends and family said Willey planned to breed the dogs.

The breed gained notoriety in a 2001 incident in which a pair of Presa Canarios mauled a San Francisco woman to death in the hallway of her apartment building. The owner later was sentenced to prison.

Hillsborough County records show Willey's affection for dogs had landed her in trouble in the past.

In 2000, she was charged with having a dog-at-large, court records show. In 2002, she was charged with having a vicious animal without current rabies vaccination and an animal registration, records show. The next year, she was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine.

Greenhalgh said Willey simply had too many dogs at the time, and they often would escape from her home and intimidate neighbors.

Those who knew her well said Willey built her life around her friends and family. In fact, Greenhalgh said, Willey and her children had planned to spend the weekend in Tampa and visit Busch Gardens. Even at 30, she still loved the roller coasters.

Willey had studied to become a crime scene investigator. She rarely missed an episode of CSI and loved anything that dealt with criminology.

She and Greenhalgh met during their years as dancers at Mons Venus strip club in Tampa. Even after those days, people still knew Willey as Ty - a stage name that stuck.

Johnson says the family remains in shock over the vicious way her daughter died. She prefers instead to think about their last conversation on Thursday, when they laughed and joked about one of their favorite TV shows, Big Brother.

"I'm just lucky that we said 'I love you' every single time we hung that phone up," she said.

Now, Johnson just wants to give her grandchildren "some semblance of normalcy in their lives."

"It's all about them now," she said. "I can't be their mother, but I can be the next best thing."

She said her daughter had no medical or life insurance and that the children will need psychological counseling. So instead of flowers, Johnson asked that well-wishers donate to the Shawna Willey Family Trust, c/o Invest Financial Services, 8745 Henderson Road, Suite 300, Tampa, FL 33634.

A funeral for Willey is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday at St. Timothy Catholic Church, 17512 Lakeshore Road in Lutz.

Information from the Miami Herald was used in this report.

Submitted on 08/22/2006

Submitted by: Ray Cunningham
Reference: St Petersburg Times 8/22/06

Copyright © 2006 DarwinAwards.com

James said:
Neutral: Darwin Award
Thanks, Ray. This additional information has convinced me to reconsider this one. If this well-heeled woman could afford a pair of $4000 dog-monsters, she could just as easily have afforded to send them to obedience school! She was apparently well-advised to do something about her dogs and was fairly warned in advance! Her obvious eccentricites aside, there is enough stupidity here for me to "convict"!

Fitzroy said:
Neutral: Darwin Award
Yeah, I'm still not strongly positive about this. However, there is so much information here, and it does add up to paint a picture of real stupidity. The warnings and the extremes the woman went to in defiance of them -- it makes me see Darwin Award merit where normally I would not. I'm still on the fence about this one, but with so much new information and such an extraordinary case I'm willing to pass it along.

Sheryl said:
Neutral: Darwin Award
Thanks for providing more information, Ray. I'm really neutral on this. For a long time I leaned toward "No Self Selection". Giving a dog a bath is generally not a dangerous job. However, the woman's history and the warnings given have pushed me over the line to "Neutral".

Jorge said:
Neutral: Not Amusing

Graham said:
Neutral: Darwin Award
As I do not agree with large vicious dogs being in homes, this story does not surprise me. People become 'blinded' in their love for their 'pets' - all too often with fatal consquences. As I have first-hand experience with a Rottweiller in a public park, I put this story down to sheer stupidity and worthy of an award.

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