Please donate to support our work

DogsBite.org is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt public charity organization. Learn more »

16 thoughts on “2019 Dog Bite Fatality: Elderly Woman Mauled by Pack of Dogs in Pickett County Dies

Please review our comment policy.

  1. It is crazy that living in a country as modern as the USA people have to worry about getting attacked by packs of dogs.

    • It isn’t just the United States. Packs of roaming dogs are a huge problem in Russia.

  2. I find it hard to believe that anyone could truly take proper care of that many large breed dogs. I also think that having more than 2 or 3 dogs is asking for trouble. Dogs will naturally revert to a pack mentality in this situation, no matter the breed. Obviously the owner did not have control over the dogs. I’m willing to bet that they were habitual escape artists. I hope the family of this poor lady sues the pants off of this person.

    • I have a lot of German Shepherd dogs, as I breed them. There are rules. No dogs loose without direct supervision. No more than two dogs ever together. Socialization is a must. Training is important. No packs allowed.

      Whether the dogs were purebred GSDs or mixes is unknown to me. However, this killing was 100% the fault of the owner. The owner should be criminally charged. Otherwise, he/she will get more dogs, neglect them, let them form packs, and let history repeat itself. The GSD is one of the easiest breeds to train, but no one should let dogs train themselves as happened here.

      • Rachel, you are obviously not the “average owner” that I should have made reference to. There is a difference between a professional who devotes their time to breeding, rearing, and homing animals responsibly and someone who is obviously delusional, uneducated, and irresponsible. We make a point to get our animals from a responsible, reputable breeder each time. All of our animals have turned out to be well-mannered and have lead long, healthy lives in combination with our responsible and respectful practices as owners.

        Not everyone likes dogs. Particularly random loose dogs running onto their property or confronting them on a walk. I think a lot of dog owners fall under the disillusion that everyone loves and appreciates their fur baby. I have never assumed this. I will never and have never allowed my pets to defecate or urinate or tresspass in any way on anyone else’s property. When anyone other than family comes to visit (to include friends or playmates for our children) I have always locked my animals away in a bedroom with food, water, and a place to use the bathroom. I take these precautions out of a place of responsibility despite the fact that I own two declawed Siamese cats and a small french bulldog. One might call my husband and I overly cautious. I’d rather be overly cautious than inconsiderate and ignorant.

  3. From what I’ve read, this pack consisted of one purebred German Shepherd Dog and her offspring which were the result of a mismating. What kind of dog was the sire? Essentially, this was a pack of mixed breed dogs; and there should never have been a pack at all.

  4. These dogs have been put down. Since they were known to be a problem prior to killing this poor woman, why is it impossible to find even one picture of one of the dogs? There should be pictures of the dogs, if they are really German Shepherds or mixes. Pit bulls are being mixed with just about every other kind of medium to large dog…..

    • The dogs had NO pit bull in them! My Aunt Nina knows what pit bulls look like. She confirmed to me that they were GSD mixes. NO PIT BULL!

  5. It’s tragic that in a developed country, in the 21st century, people get killed by packs of dogs. That sounds like something that should happen in 3rd world countries or in the 15th century.
    Our ancestors fought and worked hard to make their families safe from wild beasts, and now look – their ungrateful decadent descendants got so out of touch with reality, that they willingly bring beasts into their homes as pets, and endanger their own families, as well as everybody around them.

  6. Is it impossible to get pictures of these dogs? I just don’t understand why this is being kept a secret from the general public. This information should never be kept from the public, there is no reason to keep it hidden.

  7. I can’t believe there had been numerous calls about these dogs beforehand, and NOBODY did anything to check up on the situation! This poor woman was in her OWN back yard! The dogs obviously got a “pack mentality”! Why is no one at fault for this??????????

Comments are closed.