Up to three dogs attacked and killed a man living northeast of Bend at a campsite in Juniper Ridge. The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office said dispatchers directed DCSO deputies to the campsite, often called Dirt World by the people living there, a little after 1 am on July 19. Once there, they found a man who had been attacked by animals and had lost a substantial amount of blood.
Deputies applied a tourniquet, gave CPR and applied an automated defibrillator to the man, who was later identified as 57-year-old Joseph Taylor Keeton. Bend Fire and Paramedics arrived and transported Keeton to St. Charles Hospital in Bend, where he was pronounced dead later that morning.
Investigators determined three pitbull/bullmastiff mix dogs may be responsible for the attack on Keeton. The dogs’ owner, Jessica Rae Charity, helped crate the dogs and DCSO says she is cooperating with the investigation. The investigation of the incident is ongoing, and DCSO is looking for people who witnessed the attack. Oregon law holds dog owners responsible if their negligence results in a dog bite injury.
Deschutes County estimates there are about 200 people living in Dirt World, which spans about 1,500 acres northeast of Bend. Last month Deschutes County Commissioners voted 2-0 to remove campsites after finding code violations at campsites in the area.
Both Juniper Ridge and China Hat in south Bend have attracted increased scrutiny over the past several months. DCSO appointed a deputy to patrol just those two areas in search of fire, and proposed code amendments to the county commissioners that would regulate the time, place and manner in which people can camp. The code’s first draft mirrors provisions in Bend’s camping codes, but is still being developed.
This article appears in Source Weekly July 27, 2023.
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This goes to show you how out of control the homeless situation is and how we don’t have enforceable rules in place. I am concerned for the animals that homeless people have. If a homeless person can not care for themselves, why are they allowed to have pets? This is animal abuse. Pets are a responsibility and they need love, stability, to be fed properly, and provided medical attention when needed. When a dog is aggressive like this, it means they are in need of something. All dogs should be licensed, vaccinated etc. and should be removed from people who can not properly take care of them. We are watching animal abuse and turning a blind eye.
Why some folks are more concerned about supposed “animal abuse” than over 200 unhoused folks living in a campsite is beyond me. “pets are a responsibility and they need love, stability, to be fed properly, and provided medical attention when needed.” Could the irony hit you in the face any harder? These are real life human beings who were just “democratically” voted to have their homes removed. We are watching a HUMAN RIGHTS CRISIS and feeling more empathy for dogs than the human lives being dismantled by greedy out-of-touch politicians.