“Outside dogs” & perhaps others kill six-year-old in rural Oklahoma

Overcrowded shelters,  hoarders,  strays,  & dumping contribute to regional crisis

LEXINGTON, Oklahoma––Practically everyone in rural Cleveland County,  Oklahoma,  south of Norman and Oklahoma City,  seems to have known the county has long had a free-roaming dog problem,  like most counties in rural Oklahoma,  but general awareness did not protect James Alan Peters,  6,  of Lexington,  from becoming the most recent victim on May 4,  2025.

Oklahoma,  after having four dog attack fatalities in 2023,  got through 2024 with none,  but the attack on James Alan Peters came barely two months after the February 27,  2025 dog attack death of Cheri Ann “Cat” Taylor,  44,  in  Tuskahoma,  Oklahoma,  an unincorporated community just north of the Choctaw Reservation.

Those dogs and their owner have not been identified in public records.

“One of the worst things I’ve ever seen”

“Nikki Maynard’s little cousin was viciously attacked and killed by dogs on Sunday evening,”  reported Amaya Ward of KFOR television news in Oklahoma City.

Fetching a charger from a van parked in the yard,  said Maynard,  “The dad walked out,  he saw the dog run,  then saw,  unfortunately, his son on the ground,  unresponsive.”

James Alan Peters had been mauled “all over the body,  face,  neck,  head,  chest,  legs, back,  one of the worst things I’ve ever seen,”  Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office chief deputy of operations John Szymanski told Ward.

“It appears that one of the animals,  at least, attacked [James Alan Peters] as soon as he exited the residence,” said Szymanski.  “We’re not even sure which dogs did it.  I mean, some of the dogs could have been trying to protect the child.”

“Two of the dogs had blood on them”

“The child’s family owned five outside dogs,”  Ward mentioned.  “The Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office said two of the dogs,  a Great Pyrenees and a German shepherd,  both appeared to have blood on them.”

But photos of the “Great Pyranees” showed a short-haired mastiff,  probably a mongrel,  as were three smaller dogs not identified by breed.

Nor were those necessarily all the dogs involved.  Dogs tend to attract other dogs.

“The child’s heartbroken father asked for animal welfare to collect all the dogs outside,”  said Ward.

Born to parents Robert and Jessica Peters on July 30, 2018,  in Tullahoma,  Tennessee,  along with his twin brother Danny,  James Alan Peters also had three young sisters,  twins Judy and Edith, and Rosie.

Few are fixed despite low-cost clinics

The death of James Alan Peters,  through Ward’s reporting,  brought many of the local dog issues to the forefront of regional attention.

Some of the dogs are owned but not confined.  Some of the dogs are strays driven out to the countryside and dumped by city people.  Some are haphazardly fed by residents.

Few of the dogs are sterilized,  though Cleveland County is served by at least three low-cost spay/neuter clinics charging $65 or less to spay a dog,  among the lowest advertised rates in the U.S.

“The family said they have been dealing with people dumping animals on their street,  so they aren’t sure what dog could have done this,”  said Ward.

“People do dump animals”

Offered Maynard,  “Everybody in that area will tell you that there are so many issues with dumping of cats,  dogs,  vicious dogs.”

Szymanski said the Cleveland County Sheriff’s office had “not received any reports of animals being dumped in that area,  but say it isn’t uncommon,”  Ward paraphrased.

“Unfortunately,  in rural county areas, people do dump animals,” affirmed Szymanski.

“30 dogs found abused”

James Alan Peters was fatally mauled less than a week after “A charity stepped up to care for 30 dogs found abused on a Cleveland County property,  following weeks of efforts by deputies to find homes for the animals,”  according to Victoria Anderson of KOCO television in Oklahoma City on April 28,  2025.

“The neighbors called in and actually one of their horses was pinned down by some of the dogs,”  said Szymanski.

Continued Anderson,  “This incident led deputies to a rural residence in February 2025,  where they discovered dozens of dogs in distress.

“The dogs were reportedly injured and lacked water,  with some showing signs of scarring and cuts,  indicating they had been fighting with each other or other animals.

Suspect known to police

“After weeks of investigation,  the property owner,  Angela Denine Wimberly,  was arrested earlier this month.”

Wimberly,  59,  whose property is in Blanchard,  about 26 miles northwest of Lexington,  appears to have already been well known to law enforcement.

A warrant for Wimberly’s arrest was issued in McClain County District Court on April 23,  2005,  charging her with assault with a deadly weapon for allegedly trying to run over neighbor Diane Durham,  after Durham reportedly confronted her on March 27,  2005 to complain she had been driving too fast through the neighborhood.  Wimberly then allegedly followed Durham’s car in hers.

Taking in the Wimberly dogs was Friends of Noble Animal Shelter,  in Noble,  Oklahoma,  just north of both Lexington and Blanchard.

“Do not bring animals to the shelter”

Friends of Noble Animal Shelter on April 22, 2025 issued an emergency appeal for fostering help with four pit bulls and a German shepherd.

“We are at a critical point,”  Friends of Noble Animal Shelter said in a Facebook posting.  “The Lexington Animal Shelter is well beyond capacity,  and hard decisions are being made.”

Advises the City of Noble Animal Services website,  “If you encounter a stray or abandoned animal,  please call Noble Animal Welfare and an officer will come to you.  Please do not attempt to pick up or trap any animals.  Animal Welfare Officers have a greater chance of locating the animal’s home when working directly from where the animal is found.  Do not bring animals to the shelter;  an officer will come to you.”

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