New York Man Found Dead With Dog Bite Wounds

The New York Police Department said Frank Monte, 59, was discovered dead on Jan. 18 with multiple wounds about the body consistent with dog bites.

Juliette Fairley

Published: 1/27/2026, 1:49:02 PM EST

New York Man Found Dead With Dog Bite Wounds — Pit bulls that were owned by former NFL football player LeShon Johnson are kept in a section of the Tulsa Animal Shelter that is marked off by tape, in Tulsa, Okla., on April 11, 2005. (John Clanton/Tulsa World via AP)

The New York Police Department (NYPD) confirmed that a man was found deceased with dog bite wounds on his body in a Staten Island home last week.

Frank Monte, 59, was discovered dead on Jan. 18 after law enforcement responded to a 911 call reporting a vicious animal inside a New Dorp Lane home at about 4:09 in the afternoon.

New Dorp Lane is within the confines of the 122 NYPD Precinct.

“Officers observed a 59-year-old male with multiple wounds about the body consistent with dog bites,” an NYPD public information officer (PIO) told NTD.

Emergency Medical Services pronounced the man deceased at the scene.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is currently determining the cause of death.

“There are no arrests at this time, and the investigation remains ongoing,” the PIO added.

The possibility that the dog was failed by humans on various fronts is what concerns dog trainer and behavior consultant Kate LaSala, who said that poor breeding, poor socialization, poor living conditions, lack of training, or aversive training methods can create fear and aggression in dogs.

“Dog bites are not specific to a breed,” LaSala told NTD. “There is no one breed that is good or bad. Any dog can bite when fearful or in pain. Without knowing this dog’s full background, it’s hard to know for sure the contributing factors.”

The number of fatal dog attacks has been on the rise.

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data show that an estimated 4.5 million dog bites occur each year, and of these victims, the bite led 885,000 victims to seek medical care, resulting in an average of 16 deaths.

"If the dog had been abused, that could be one of the reasons why it lashed out so violently,” Los Angeles attorney Dan Moyer told NTD. “That doesn't excuse the attack. Owners are still responsible for keeping people safe. It's really about how much the dog's owner knew about their behavior issues beforehand and what they did or didn’t do about it.”

Last month, a Davidson County Grand Jury issued indictments charging a 56-year-old Thomasville, North Carolina, woman with second-degree murder and 10 counts of felony animal abuse after a pack of 17 dogs she was caring for allegedly killed 73-year-old man Michael Bodenheimer, who was found deceased on Nov. 18 in the front yard of 201 Jeanette Lane in Thomasville.

The dog owner, Elaina Bryant, was taken into custody on Dec. 17 and served with the indictments, according to a Davidson County Sheriff's Department press release. Bryant was subsequently transported to the Davidson County Detention Center where she is being held on a $500,000 secured bond.