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<\/a><\/p>\n(Beth Clifton collage)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n LEXINGTON, Oklahoma\u2013\u2013<\/strong>Practically everyone in rural Cleveland County,\u00a0 Oklahoma,\u00a0 south of Norman and Oklahoma City,\u00a0 seems to have known the county has long had a free-roaming dog problem,\u00a0 like most counties in rural Oklahoma,\u00a0 but general awareness did not protect James Alan Peters, \u00a06, \u00a0of Lexington, \u00a0from becoming the most recent victim on May 4,\u00a0 2025.<\/p>\n Oklahoma,\u00a0 after having four dog attack fatalities in 2023,\u00a0 got through 2024 with none,\u00a0 but the attack on James Alan Peters came barely two months after the February 27,\u00a0 2025 dog attack death of Cheri Ann \u201cCat\u201d Taylor, \u00a044, \u00a0in \u00a0Tuskahoma, \u00a0Oklahoma,\u00a0 an unincorporated community just north of the Choctaw Reservation.<\/p>\n Those dogs and their owner have not been identified in public records.<\/p>\n James Alan Peters.\u00a0 (GoFundMe photo)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cNikki Maynard\u2019s little cousin was viciously attacked and killed by dogs on Sunday evening,\u201d\u00a0 reported Amaya Ward of KFOR television news in Oklahoma City.<\/p>\n Fetching a charger from a van parked in the yard,\u00a0 said Maynard, \u00a0\u201cThe dad walked out,\u00a0 he saw the dog run, \u00a0then saw, \u00a0unfortunately, his son on the ground, \u00a0unresponsive.\u201d<\/p>\n James Alan Peters had been mauled \u201call over the body, \u00a0face, \u00a0neck, \u00a0head, \u00a0chest, \u00a0legs, back, \u00a0one of the worst things I\u2019ve ever seen,\u201d\u00a0 Cleveland County Sheriff\u2019s Office chief deputy of operations John Szymanski told Ward.<\/p>\n \u201cIt appears that one of the animals, \u00a0at least, attacked [James Alan Peters] as soon as he exited the residence,\u201d said Szymanski. \u00a0\u201cWe\u2019re not even sure which dogs did it. \u00a0I mean, some of the dogs could have been trying to protect the child.\u201d<\/p>\n (Beth Clifton collage)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cThe child\u2019s family owned five outside dogs,\u201d\u00a0 Ward mentioned.\u00a0 \u201cThe Cleveland County Sheriff\u2019s Office said two of the dogs, \u00a0a Great Pyrenees and a German shepherd, \u00a0both appeared to have blood on them.\u201d<\/p>\n But photos of the \u201cGreat Pyranees\u201d showed a short-haired mastiff,\u00a0 probably a mongrel,\u00a0 as were three smaller dogs not identified by breed.<\/p>\n Nor were those necessarily all the dogs involved.\u00a0 Dogs tend to attract other dogs.<\/p>\n \u201cThe child\u2019s heartbroken father asked for animal welfare to collect all the dogs outside,\u201d\u00a0 said Ward.<\/p>\n Born to parents Robert and Jessica Peters on July 30, 2018, \u00a0in Tullahoma, \u00a0Tennessee, \u00a0along with his twin brother Danny,\u00a0 James Alan Peters also had three young sisters,\u00a0 twins Judy and Edith, and Rosie.<\/p>\n (Beth Clifton photo)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n The death of James Alan Peters,\u00a0 through Ward\u2019s reporting, \u00a0brought many of the local dog issues to the forefront of regional attention.<\/p>\n Some of the dogs are owned but not confined.\u00a0 Some of the dogs are strays driven out to the countryside and dumped by city people.\u00a0 Some are haphazardly fed by residents.<\/p>\n Few of the dogs are sterilized,\u00a0 though Cleveland County is served by at least three low-cost spay\/neuter clinics charging $65 or less to spay a dog,\u00a0 among the lowest advertised rates in the U.S.<\/p>\n \u201cThe family said they have been dealing with people dumping animals on their street, \u00a0so they aren\u2019t sure what dog could have done this,\u201d\u00a0 said Ward.<\/p>\n Lieutenant John Szymanski. (ABC 5 KOCO photo)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Offered Maynard,\u00a0 \u201cEverybody in that area will tell you that there are so many issues with dumping of cats, \u00a0dogs, \u00a0vicious dogs.\u201d<\/p>\n Szymanski said the Cleveland County Sheriff\u2019s office had \u201cnot received any reports of animals being dumped in that area, \u00a0but say it isn\u2019t uncommon,\u201d\u00a0 Ward paraphrased.<\/p>\n \u201cUnfortunately, \u00a0in rural county areas, people do dump animals,\u201d affirmed Szymanski.<\/p>\n (Beth Clifton collage)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n James Alan Peters was fatally mauled less than a week after \u201cA charity stepped up to care for 30 dogs found abused on a Cleveland County property, \u00a0following weeks of efforts by deputies to find homes for the animals,\u201d\u00a0 according to Victoria Anderson of KOCO television in Oklahoma City on April 28,\u00a0 2025.<\/p>\n \u201cThe neighbors called in and actually one of their horses was pinned down by some of the dogs,\u201d \u00a0said Szymanski.<\/p>\n Continued Anderson,\u00a0 \u201cThis incident led deputies to a rural residence in February 2025, \u00a0where they discovered dozens of dogs in distress.<\/p>\n \u201cThe dogs were reportedly injured and lacked water, \u00a0with some showing signs of scarring and cuts, \u00a0indicating they had been fighting with each other or other animals.<\/p>\n Angela Denine Wimberly.<\/strong><\/em> \u201cAfter weeks of investigation, \u00a0the property owner, \u00a0Angela Denine Wimberly, \u00a0was arrested earlier this month.\u201d<\/p>\n Wimberly,\u00a0 59,\u00a0 whose property is in Blanchard, \u00a0about 26 miles northwest of Lexington,\u00a0 appears to have already been well known to law enforcement.<\/p>\n A warrant for Wimberly\u2019s arrest was issued in McClain County District Court on April 23, \u00a02005,\u00a0 charging her with assault with a deadly weapon for allegedly trying to run over neighbor Diane Durham, \u00a0after Durham reportedly confronted her on March 27,\u00a0 2005 to complain she had been driving too fast through the neighborhood.\u00a0 Wimberly then allegedly followed Durham\u2019s car in hers.<\/p>\n Taking in the Wimberly dogs was Friends of Noble Animal Shelter,\u00a0 in Noble,\u00a0 Oklahoma,\u00a0 just north of both Lexington and Blanchard.<\/p>\nOvercrowded shelters,\u00a0 hoarders,\u00a0 strays,\u00a0 & dumping contribute to regional crisis<\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cOne of the worst things I\u2019ve ever seen\u201d<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cTwo of the dogs had blood on them\u201d<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nFew are fixed despite low-cost clinics<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cPeople do dump animals\u201d<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n\u201c30 dogs found abused\u201d<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n
(McClain County Sheriff\u2019s Office photo)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\nSuspect known to police<\/h2>\n