Harrison Parker let his 5-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Henry, out into the invisible-fenced front yard of his Woodhaven Road home in Buckhead on September 18, 2025. Minutes later, Parker found Henry dead in the driveway, his body torn by puncture wounds, broken ribs, and severe internal bleeding, the result of an attack by four loose dogs belonging to actor Tyrese Gibson.
The attack came after months of documented trouble in the Tuxedo Court neighborhood. According to 11Alive, Fulton County Animal Services had received at least five reports of Gibson's dogs running loose in the five months before the fatal mauling, prompting multiple prior warnings and citation attempts by animal control officers, who said they had previously tried to cite Gibson when he was away from home. Parker described his dog, upon finding him, as a “pile of fluff,” per the outlet's reporting. According to Fulton County's FY2025 proposed budget, the Animal Services Fund has an expenditure budget of $12.8 million.
Fulton County Police records show that the danger wasn't limited to Henry. Another Buckhead resident called 911 just minutes before Henry was killed, reporting that she was trapped inside her own home, unable to reach her car because Gibson's four loose Cane Corsos were standing directly outside her front door, according to FOX 5 Atlanta. Gibson's large dogs had been roaming freely through the community, and the actor was out of town at the time of the attack, according to WSB-TV.
A Search Warrant, an Arrest, and a Bond
Four days after the attack, on September 22, 2025, Fulton County Police executed a search warrant at Gibson's Buckhead estate with guns drawn and animal control nets on hand. Officers handcuffed a relative on the property and seized a Pomeranian named Dream while Gibson was in Los Angeles mourning his father, per bodycam footage described by CBS News.
Gibson did not turn himself in within the initial deadline, prompting police to issue an arrest warrant. He ultimately surrendered at the Fulton County Jail early on October 3, 2025, where he was booked on a misdemeanor animal cruelty charge and released on a $20,000 surety bond, according to Court TV. Per WSB-TV, Gibson was also charged with dog at large and nuisance offenses.
Gibson's Response and His Attorney's Statement
Gibson released a statement through his attorney, Gabe Banks, in the aftermath of the attack, saying he had never trained any of his dogs to harm anyone. In the statement reported by WSB-TV, Gibson said he was shocked, devastated, and heartbroken for the family that lost their dog, adding that he has spent 40 years as a self-described dog lover. “As an empath, my heart hurts deeply for their unimaginable loss, and I've been trying to reach out directly to express my sorrow and condolences,” Gibson wrote, according to the outlet.
Banks told WHIO-TV that Gibson had acquired the Cane Corsos three and a half years earlier for security purposes, after dealing with stalkers showing up at his home. Banks maintained the dogs were never trained to be vicious or given any kind of attack training. Gibson's dogs were also seen on a neighbor's Ring camera around the time of the incident, per WSB-TV.
Charges Dismissed Through Pretrial Diversion
Banks confirmed the charges against Gibson were dismissed the previous month after Gibson completed a pretrial diversion program, according to WSB-TV. As part of resolving the case, Gibson rehomed the dogs involved in the attack, the outlet reported.
The Fulton County Solicitor General's Office runs a Pretrial Diversion Program for first-time misdemeanor offenders that allows charges to be dismissed without a conviction if the defendant completes court-mandated conditions such as restitution, community service, or surrendering animals, according to Fulton County government records. Under Georgia Code § 16-12-4, misdemeanor cruelty to animals involves causing unjustifiable physical pain or suffering to an animal, and carries maximum penalties in Fulton County of up to 12 months in jail, fines of up to $5,000, probation, and mandatory counseling, per legal analysis from Kohn & Yager LLC.
Because Gibson completed the diversion program and had his charges dismissed, his arrest record is now eligible to be restricted from public background checks under Georgia record restriction laws, which the state expanded to cover non-conviction dismissals, according to Fulton County government guidance. It remains unclear whether financial restitution was paid to Parker's family, whether Parker intends to pursue civil litigation over Henry's death, or whether the restriction process has been formally completed.
The case adds to a recent stretch of high-profile legal matters for Gibson in the Fulton County court system. In September 2024, a Fulton County Superior Court judge held Gibson in willful contempt of court during an ongoing child support dispute with his ex-wife, ordering him held until he paid $73,500 in back child support and legal fees, a detention that was brief before an appeal was filed, according to TMZ.
