The emotional rollercoaster and family drama that punctuates Pitbulls and Parolees makes this show addictive. Pet lovers will appreciate the amazing work Tia Maria Torres, owner of the Villalobos Rescue Center, is doing, rescuing and rehabilitating abandoned dogs.
Torres’ children grew up in the rescue center and are, inevitably, core cast members of the popular Animal Planet show. So, when tragedy hit home with news about Tia Torres’ son Kanani Chock being involved in a grisly accident, speculations about his subsequent death were rife.
But did Kanani Chock die after the accident? Why is he no longer on the show? Read on and discover the real truth about what happened to Tia Torres’ son.
Who Is Tia Torres’s Son Kanani Chock?
Kanani Chock is one of Tia’s four children, her biological daughters Mariah Torres and Tania Torres and Keli’i Torres, Kanani’s twin brother.
Kanani and his twin were born in Hawaii on April 20, 1987, and Tia Torress adopted them soon after birth. Both boys grew up seeing their mother run the Villalobos Rescue Center, the USA’s largest pit bull rescue facility. Inevitably, they developed an interest in the animals that came to the animal shelter.
Kanani formally works at the rescue center. But, aside from his passion for animals and appearance on reality television, he also dabbles as a motorcycle stunt rider.
Pit bulls & Parolees, which first premiered on the Animal Network on October 30, 2009, revolves around the on-goings at the famous rescue center.
Tia Torres herself is a renowned pit-bull training instructor, and her animal center rehabilitates abandoned and injured dogs.
What Happened to Kanani Chock?
Being an employee of the Villalobos Rescue Center, Kanani regularly appeared on Animal Planet’s Pitbulls and Parolees, so it was quite strange when we stopped seeing him on the show.
What really happened?
Kanani has a history of run-ins with the police and is a parolee. The last time he was arrested was in 2007, but he seemed to have reformed.
Chock shifted his interest to motorcycle stunt work, a pass time activity that led to a catastrophic accident that saw the reality star hospitalized in the ICU for quite some time.
His social media fans will know that Kanani is a fan of street bike stunts, which he frequently posts on his socials. You will see him perform adrenaline-inducing stunts, including flipping in the air and riding at neck-break speed. Unfortunately, all this ended in tragedy.
The Truth About Kanani Chock’s Death
Kanani got into a serious accident during one of his stunt performances. This was the first catastrophic accident the television personality had been involved in since he started stunt work. He was immediately rushed to the hospital, leaving him to fight for dear life.
The good news is that Torres’ son Kanani Chock did not die in that accident. Although we saw the family at the hospital rallying around him in one of the show’s episodes, details about the accident and Kanani’s health remained scanty, leading to speculations that the tv star was dead.
All that was said is that Kanani suffered multiple serious injuries and was in the intensive care unit (ICU). The family opted to keep the rest a secret.
The extent of his injuries from the accident must have been grave because Kanani did not appear in multiple TV series episodes after the incident. Throughout this period, his family had little to no updates on Chock’s health.
Before the accident, Tia had posted a tribute in 2018 to Colin, one of her earliest employees who had grown close to Tia’s children, and they considered each other siblings. Tia mentioned that Colin, who had been with Pit Bulls and Parolees since its inception, had lost his life in a bike accident.
So, it was not Tia Torres’ son who died but an employee and close family friend.
The rumors that Kanani Chock is dead are just that– rumors. What happened to Tia Torres’ son is that he was involved in a grisly accident that landed him in the ICU, but he did not die.
Where is Kanani Chock Now? Health Update
Kanani finally went back to his television career after the near-fatal accident. He has even gone back to posting on social media, and in one post, we see him with his two strokes Honda 250.
The American reality TV star also started working with Animal Hospital LLC and now mentors kids. We found out that Kanani and his wife, Mariah Chock, grew their brood by adding a lovely daughter to their family.
We are extremely happy that Kanai Chocks is alive and well and seems to have fully recovered since his accident. We wish him and his family the best!
