[ Sporting Magazine ]
The Sporting Magazine (1792 - 1870) is considered the first general sporting magazine, though in its later decades it gave considerable emphasis to fox hunting. But it published all manner of sporting-related material, from news stories to poetry to calendars of upcoming sporting events. The subtitle of this magazine was "Monthly Calendar of the Transactions of the Turf, the Chace, and every other Diversion interesting to the Man of Pleasure, Enterprize and Spirit." [more at Wikipedia]
The October, 1809, issue carried the following brief notice in its "Sporting Intelligence" section:
A GENTLEMAN of the name of Hayes, whose residence is at Sedley Common, in Surrey, was shockingly mangled by a favourite Newfoundland dog, on Tuesday night, the l7th inst. insomuch that his life is despaired of. The family were alarmed by the howlings of the dog in the back yard, and Mr. Hayes, on going down, discovered that be had entangled his neck and back with a chain which fastened him up. The moment he extricated him, the dog seized him by the thigh, and bit through his hold, when he again flew at him and seized htm by the neck. In this situation, a man who slept in the house, came to the assistance of Mr. Hayes, but the dog could not be made to loosen his hold, until he was killed. Mr. Hayes is not expected to recover. (37)