Posted on December 23, 2014 by Colleen Lynn

2014 Dog Bite Fatality: Toddler Killed by Family Rottweilers in Citrus County, Florida

Scene near the fatal rottweiler mauling of 2-year old Christopher Camejo.

Parents Arrested
UPDATE 12/22/14: Citrus County authorities arrested the parents of 2-year old Christopher Camejo who was brutally killed by his grandfather's rottweilers on December 6. Christopher Camejo, 29, and Claudia Scarbrough, 31, both of 8352 W. Oak St., Crystal River, were charged with manslaughter and child neglect. At the time of the attack, both parents were home, but not watching their three children. Department of Children and Families took the other two children.

Sgt. Steven Casada, supervisor of the Special Victims Unit, said it was critical for detectives to put together a timeline showing that the little boy was not being supervised at the time of his death. "Detectives literally worked around the clock in order to piece together the evidence needed to make the arrests on this case," Casada said. The investigation also revealed that both parents were under the influence of multiple narcotics on the day little Christopher was mauled to death.

Sheriff Jeff Dawsy praised everyone's efforts. "Everyone who worked on this case -- from the 911 call takers, crime scene technicians, animal control officers, deputies and transcribers, to the detectives and everyone in between -- was impacted by the horrific wounds inflicted upon this child," Dawsy said. Everyone knew it was their job to bring justice to this young boy and, "today we did just that," Dawsy said. Both Camejo and Scarbrough are being held on $20,000 bond.

12/10/14: Grandfather Speaks Out
The Citrus County Chronicle reports new information in today's update. The boy's grandfather, Joaquin Camejo, is heartbroken. "He was everything to me, everything -- everything I can imagine," he said. Christopher Camejo, 2-years old and his first grandson, was mauled to death by up to four of Joaquin's rottweilers on December 6. Joaquin said he first heard the news of his grandson's death when returning from a fishing trip. His son desperately called him on the phone.

"My son called and said, 'dad, dad, my son is dead, your dogs killed him. I just threw up my hands and started crying." - Joaquin Camejo

Prior to leaving for the fishing trip, Joaquin said he locked up two of his rottweilers -- the two he believes killed the boy -- in his backyard in a "special pen." The two dogs, a male and a female, were siblings, according to Joaquin. He believes the two were trying to establish pack order and seemed more aggressive. He said his dogs had never shown aggression toward his grandson, even slept with him, but he was still cautious when his grandchildren were around the dogs.

Joaquin believes Christopher exited the house "through a screen door leading to the dogs' pen" while the adults in the home were cleaning and watching his three grandchildren. It is unclear from that description if the screen door directly led into the "special pen" -- a recipe for disaster -- or if the child also had to open the pen's door. His two other rottweilers and a pekingese were in the home apparently and exited with the adults when they went to check the backyard after the attack.

Too Many Inconsistencies

As noted in the top photograph, the family had a "Beware of Dog" sign on their fence. That is inconsistency one. Joaquin said he exercised caution when his grandkids were around the dogs, while simultaneously saying that his rottweilers had slept with grandson. This is not exercising caution -- inconsistency two. Despite the unclarity of access to the "special pen" it was still an accessible death trap. There is nothing cautious about this poor design -- inconsistency three.

Finally, despite the struggles the family was having and the imperfect nature of human beings, the grandfather still had four rottweilers in his home along with his three grandchildren and their parents who were all, it appears, temporarily living at (or visiting) his home. Joaquine explained, "We were in the process of getting them back to their house in Homosassa." Unfortunately, there is no room for average imperfection with four rottweilers and visiting children ages, 1, 2 and 5.

12/08/14: Family Members Devastated
It was reported Sunday that the child was already dead when Citrus County sheriff's deputies and emergency medical responders arrived on scene shortly after 4 pm Saturday. Christopher Camejo, 2, was discovered in the backyard with bite injuries consistent with a dog attack, according to authorities. The toddler had been alone when he was attacked. His parents, Christopher Louis Camejo, 29, and Claudia Scarbrough, 31, were inside the home with their two other children.

New information released Monday indicates the child was under the care of his mother and his grandfather's girlfriend, Kimberly Fisher, at the time of the deadly attack. Fisher told News Channel 8 she stepped away to use the bathroom when Christopher managed to slip out of the house. "That's all it took," Fisher said while crying. "Had I not gone to the bathroom, this would've never happened." Fisher said the rottweilers had never been aggressive towards the children.

Rottweilers have a well-established track record of killing kids without provocation, including champion bloodline and "protection" trained rottweilers. It is the second most lethal dog breed in the U.S. - DogsBite.org

The boy's grandfather, Joaquin Camejo, is listed as one of the property owners of 8352 West Oak Street on the Citrus County Property Appraiser's website. Joaquin's Facebook page shows images of one of the female rottweiler's with a litter of at least 8 puppies as recently as November 5. Joaquin was away fishing when the boy was attacked and killed. He called his grandson's death a "tragic accident." Joaquin Camejo has surrendered his four rottweilers to animal control.

12/06/14: Toddler Killed by Dogs
Crystal River, FL - Citrus County Sheriff's deputies responded to the death of a 2-year old boy from a reported dog attack Saturday afternoon. The family had three children, four rottweilers and another small dog, according to Heather Yates, the sheriff's office spokeswoman. Animal control officers removed all five dogs. Department of Children and Families was notified, as is protocol when a child dies and other children are in the home. "The parents are distraught," Yates said.

A late evening update from 10 News showed the family had a "Beware of Dog" sign hanging on their fence. The toddler was attacked and killed by one or more dogs while in his yard. Evidence technicians had a light over the scene where the child died -- it appeared to be on the side or in the back of the family's Crystal River home. Department of Children and Families removed the two remaining children from the home. The father of the child was arrested on unrelated charges.

Record High Fatalities in 2014, Weeks Remaining

The mauling death of this child elevates the number of dog bite fatalities to 40, higher than DogsBite.org has ever tracked since 2005. The closest comparison is 2012 with 38 fatalities. Back in August, we estimated that fatalities would likely reach 46 by the end of the year. Though it may appear that rottweiler attacks are up this year, they are not. Rottweilers typically kill about 4 people per year. This is the fourth fatal rottweiler attack of 2014 versus the 25th fatal pit bull mauling.

This death also marks the fifth fatal dog attack in Florida this year. Other Florida victims include: Jessica Norman, 33-years old (Highlands County); Logan Sheppard, 4-years old (Hillsborough County); Joel Chirieleison, 6-years old (Levy County) and Javon Dade Jr., 4-years old (Miami-Dade County). Texas leads all states in 2014 with the most fatal dog attacks, 6 deaths.1 North Carolina falls behind Florida and has the third most fatal dog attacks, resulting in 4 deaths.

Three of the four rottweilers seized. Images provided by the Citrus County Sheriff's Office.

View the DogsBite.org Google Map: U.S. Fatal Rottweiler Attacks By State

1All 6 Texas fatal dog maulings occurred in the first 3.5 months of 2014.

Posted on December 16, 2014 by Colleen Lynn

2014 Dog Bite Fatality: Texas 'Dog Rescuer' Killed by Dogs She Rescued

A Bloody Mess
UPDATE 01/19/15: In what can only be described as a "bloody mess," more news about the December 15 fatal dog mauling of pit bull rescuer Rita Woodard was reported Monday. Police and animal control were called back out to the home where Woodard was discovered bitten, bloody and dead in December. At that time, authorities seized 17 dogs at Woodard's home that she had rescued. Authorities euthanized four pit bull-mixes they believed inflicted the deadly attack.1

For the Love of Strays, a rescue group that Woodard had fostered many dogs for, immediately seized upon the tragedy of her death by calling on the public to donate to their organization to ensure that four of Woodard's remaining dogs, called her "personal dogs" -- pit bulls and pit bull-mixes -- could find homes. All four were dog aggressive. For the Love of Strays has since deleted this post from their Facebook page, it was originally published on December 20, 2014.

On Friday, January 16, 2015 gunshots rang out at Woodard's former home. According to neighbors, two friends of Woodard's relatives had been staying at her residence caretaking two rescue dogs that remained after her death (the KIII-TV segment does not clarify if either of these dogs was amongst Rita's "personal" four that the rescue group was trying to adopt out). The two dogs attacked each other causing severe injuries, so the caretakers shot and killed both dogs.

Investigators said the two dogs were shot in the head and buried in the backyard. The carcasses of the animals were exhumed and bagged up by Animal Care Services. As the animal cruelty investigation continues, Animal Care Services will work with the police department about potential charges against the caretakers. Rita deeply cared for the many pit bulls she rescued and also acknowledged publicly on some of her Facebook posts that many were "DA" (dog aggressive).

This dangerous behavior is likely how she got killed -- she was trying to break up a fight amongst her multiple pit bull rescues. The animals then began attacking her. At her death scene, one dog (pit bull or otherwise) was so badly injured by the attacking pack of pit bull-mixes that it had to be put down. Just several weeks later, an animal cruelty investigation has been launched against the friends of relatives assigned to care for two dogs she had been living with at the time of her death.

"Rainbow Bridge" Update

On Tuesday, a day after KIII-TV aired this segment, we uncovered the identity of the two pit bulls involved in the animal cruelty investigation. The two dogs, Roscoe and Kaja, were indeed part of Rita's four "personal" dogs that For the Love of Strays was trying to place after her death. Notably, the December 20 post that For the Love of Strays has since removed states, "Roscoe does get along with Kaja." However, Rita was quite open that Kaja (the tree climber) was dog aggressive.

"That's my special baby Kaja Brat. Not allowed around other dogs." - Rita Ross Woodard, October 13, 2014, Facebook.com

On the KIII-TV Facebook post about the animal cruelty investigation, one of Rita's friends, Jennifer Lutz Pulver, comments about the two dead pit bulls: "They were her own dogs! Not fosters!" Pulver was a founding member of For the Love of Strays, according to a January 2010 newsletter. Pulver also worked with the rescue group at least through October 2013, according to her Facebook photo album, which lists her contact information on a fundraising flyer for the group.

The conversation about KIII-TV's recent news segment continues onto Woodard's personal Facebook page, where Alice Buttler clarifies the identities of the two dead pit bulls further. "I know that Rita welcomed Roscoe & Kaja at the Rainbow Bridge but she is super pissed about how they got there." Buttler also states that she wants to see a new photograph of Woodard's remaining two pit bulls -- Duke and Echo -- to ensure the dogs are safe and being taken care of properly.

"Bloody Mess" Summarized

For the Love of Strays rescue portrayed Roscoe and Kaja as two pit bulls that "got along" with each other despite Woodard saying as recently as October that Kaja was not allowed around other dogs. Woodard lost her life due to pit bull dog aggression and so have other rescuers who intervened to break up an explosive pit bull fight. Even after the loss of her life, in fact just a few days later, on December 20, the rescue group was peddling out four dog aggressive pit bulls.

Also recall that the director of For the Love of Strays, Melissa Rizzo, became a self-appointed "expert" after Woodard's death. Rizzo was highlighted in multiple news stories as gathering donations for Woodard's four "personal" pit bulls so that her group could adopt them out. Rizzo even went on camera to explain to the public how safe "large breeds" are and how she had "never heard about this happening before" -- a pit bull rescuer being killed by her own rescue dogs.

Rizzo is not an expert or even responsible. Woodard had 17 large breeds in her home at the time of her death, many of which were dog aggressive pit bulls. This was not seen as hazardous by Rizzo or anyone else working at For the Love of Strays. Coupling Roscoe and Kaja together, both dog aggressive, was an appalling decision as well. The truth is, rescue junkies like Rizzo are making extremely poor decisions about literally deadly animals with no oversight or regulation.

Now Rita Woodard is dead, along with two of her "personal" dog aggressive pit bulls that the self-appointed experts at For the Love of Strays were supposed to be keeping safe after her death. The only thing missing from this "bloody mess" now, since evolving into an animal cruelty investigation, are the self-appointed experts like Rizzo who refused to admit the dangerous temperament of these dogs or make the hard, but responsible decision not to adopt them out.

12/16/14: Medical Examiner Report
Corpus Christi, TX - A 64-year old woman was discovered dead in her home Monday night after being attacked by dogs she was fostering. The Nueces County Medical Examiner determined that Rita Woodard, also known as Rita Ross, died from a heart attack after multiple dog bites. Authorities believe five of the 17 dogs she had been fostering inflicted the attack. The same five also nearly killed another one her dogs during the attack; it was put down due to severe injuries.

The Medical Examiner released a report Tuesday evening stating that Woodard had died from coronary artery atherosclerosis after suffering multiple dog bites. According to Corpus Christi Police Department Commander John Houston, who supervises Animal Care Services, five of the 17 dogs found at her home are believe to be responsible for the attack. All five dogs will likely be euthanized. The video shows multiple images of pit bulls being taken away by animal control.

Many of the dogs -- presumably at the time of the attack -- were in cages. Four have already been turned over to an adoption group Woodard was linked to. The eight remaining dogs will be turned over to her son, who lives out-of-state. Woodard was devoted to helping unwanted dogs find "forever" homes and spent much time helping the rescue group, For the Love of Strays, who is already asking for donations to help care for the four dogs they took in after Woodard's death.

Late Evening Update

After publishing the initial post, we reviewed Woodard's Facebook page. Her photo album is filled to the brim with photographs of rescued pit bulls -- her profile image is of one of her pit bulls, rescued or otherwise, climbing a tree. This is not unique pit bull behavior. YouTube is filled with videos of proud pit bull owners filming their dogs climbing up and down trees. Back in August, Woodard noted on Facebook that two pit bulls, apparently under her care, had also escaped.

Woodard had at least 17 dogs in her home. No media reports so far have stated that this was unusual or against city code nor have they explained any relevant city codes. With 17 dogs in her home, her situation was indeed questionable -- that most of these dogs were pit bulls is worse. One of the pit bulls seen in the video was previously nursing, so part of the 17 dogs could have included puppies. Notably, the tan pit bull seen in the video also appears to be the tree climber.

View the DogsBite.org Google Map: Texas Fatal Pit Bull Maulings.

Join Texas Dog Bite Victims' Advocacy - Join our Texas email list to stay informed

1KIII-TV never named the breed(s) of dogs involved in Woodard's fatal attack. KIII-TV instead hedged it under the "large breed" scenario, which is dangerous and incompetent. Corpus Christi Police Chief Floyd Simpson, upon an email request, did name the breed involved in her death -- pit bull-mixes. Just like her Facebook page indicated.

Posted on December 4, 2014 by Colleen Lynn

2014 Dog Bite Fatality: Man Dies in Rockingham County During Vicious Dog Attack

Dog Owner Charged
UPDATE 04/13/15: A Rockingham County grand jury issued charges today against a man whose pack of dogs contributed to man's death in November. Daniel Douglass McCollum, 55, of Madison was charged with one count of involuntary manslaughter in connection to the death of 62-year old Jose Cruz Cazares Robles. The victim, who had been visiting from Mexico, had left his family's home that day for a walk when the pack of dogs viciously attacked him along McCollum Road.

03/25/15: Bites Contributed to Death
The autopsy report of a man mauled by a pack of dogs and found dead on November 24 in Rockingham County has finally been released. 62-year old Jose Robles, who had been visiting family from Mexico, was discovered dead at the bottom of an embankment with most of his clothing ripped away and bite marks covering his body. The report released March 23 states, "Bleeding and stress from a dog attack and resultant injuries most likely contributed to death."

The Medical Examiner noted in the autopsy, "In my opinion, the most likely cause of death was an acute cardiac arrhythmia or myocardial infarction due to coronary artery atherosclerosis. Bleeding and stress from a dog attack and resultant injuries most likely contributed to death." - WFMYnews.com, March 24, 205

According to the state medical examiner's report, Roble’s body was covered in canine bite marks. "Incised wounds and abrasions were consistent with injuries from a dog attack," states the report. The dogs also inflicted scratches to his scalp, face, arms, legs, back and lower abdomen. All told, the report states there were more than 100 wounds inflicted upon Robles. At some point during the dog attack he died. The autopsy report was released exactly 4-months after his death.

After making the grisly discovery in November, authorities confiscated 15 dogs belonging to Daniel McCollum, who lives across the street from where his body was found. Though it is still unknown how many dogs were involved in the attack, the animals continue to be housed at the Rockingham County shelter costing the county nearly $28,000, the News & Record reports. Rockingham County District Attorney Craig Blitzer said he is evaluating the case to see if charges will be filed.

12/29/14: Case Details Still Guarded
New information about the death of Jose Robles was revealed in late December. On November 24, Robles was discovered dead by Rockingham County deputies at the bottom of a steep embankment on McCollum Road. His clothes and shoes had been ripped off his body and he was covered in animal bite marks. Deputies seized 15 dogs belonging to Daniel McCollum of 1122 McCollum Road -- previously unnamed -- the home across from where his body was located.1

The News & Record continues to investigate, despite the sheriff's office refusing to comment on this man's violent death 35 days after his body was discovered or to release a preliminary autopsy report that identifies the cause of death. The sheriff's office would not even permit News & Record to interview animal control officers to discuss the county's leash laws. Family members of the victim also told the News & Record that investigators told them not to speak with the media.

The News & Record was able to obtain related information. As of December 28, the county spent about $7,440 to house McCollum's 15 dogs (in 11 cages) at the county shelter. After the attack, McCollum was fined $600 for failure to vaccinate 12 of his dogs, $150 for six of his dogs running at large and $150 for six of his dogs being a public nuisance. USPS also confirmed that McCollum's mailbox receptacle had to be moved within the last 18 months for the safety of a postal carrier.

12/04/14: Numerous Bite Injuries
Madison, NC - The News & Record reports a nearly non-reported 2014 U.S. fatal dog mauling that occurred on November 23 in Rockingham County, North Carolina. On that day, 62-year old Jose Robles left the family he was visiting to take a walk down Bethany Road at about 1 pm. Deputies discovered him the next morning about a mile from where he was staying. He was dead -- stripped of all clothing and shoes with numerous bite marks on his body and 15 dogs lurking nearby.

These latter details, which strongly indicate a fatal dog mauling -- his clothing and shoes stripped away, numerous bite marks on his body and 15 dogs nearby -- were recently provided by News & Record after they obtained a warrant taken out by the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office on November 24. At the time of the discovery of his body, the sheriff's office provided no details of Robles' death to the media and will not release more today citing an ongoing investigation.

The Rockingham County Sheriff's Office is no longer searching for Jose Cruz Cazares Robles. It was unclear how the search concluded. He was reported missing Sunday afternoon. - News & Record, November 24, 2014

Deputies confiscated the 15 dogs hours after finding Robles dead and transported them to the county animal shelter. Kevin Baughn, the shelter's director, confirmed to News & Record yesterday that "15 blue heelers and hounds" were in his care, but declined to comment further. Kevin Suthard, a spokesman for the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office, would not discuss the dogs' involvement, the warrant or provide an update on the case, the News & Record states.

At the time of the attack, Robles and his wife, who are from Jalisko, Mexico, were in Rockingham County visiting with family. After Robles did not return from his walk within a few hours, the family became concerned and contacted local law enforcement. The Rockingham County Sheriff's Office then issued a bulletin asking for the public's help in finding the missing person. After discovering him dead the next morning, the sheriff's office simply said the cause of death is unknown.

Evening News Reveals More

Later into the day, Fox8 reported more about this investigation. As detectives were searching the area for Robles, one officer observed "a pack of various dogs which aggressively confronted his vehicle in the roadway." Another detective reported that she was "also confronted aggressively by these dogs." Officers then found Robles dead across the street from the dog owner's home. The 15 suspected dogs are described as blue and red heelers, Australian shepherds and hounds.

Though the owner of the 15 dogs is not named, she told detectives that her dogs "would bite the ankles of strangers who were near the property." Detectives asked her to secure the animals and she did. For those of you who do not know, heelers will nip the heels of the animals they are herding to push them along. That is a far cry from owning a pack of 15 dogs -- running at large -- that appear to have enjoined pack behavior resulting in the brutal death of a 62-year old man.

After confronted by the 15 dogs, officers got a warrant and seized the animals. The Rockingham County Sheriff's Office is still awaiting autopsy results to determine if the man was still alive when he was viciously mauled. A subsequent search warrant allowed investigators to get blood samples, oral swabs, nose swabs, toe swabs and bite impressions from each of the 15 dogs. The time frame of the autopsy results is unknown. FOX8 was unable to contact the victim's family.

1Members of the McCollum family have been living on McCollum Road in Madison for over 200 years.

Posted on December 1, 2014 by Colleen Lynn

2014 Dog Bite Fatality: Grant Parish Woman Dies After Dogs Inflict Catastrophic Injuries

Investigation Complete
UPDATE 01/13/15: The Grant Parish Sheriff's Office has concluded its investigation into the brutal dog mauling death of 85-year old Bobbie Cheveallier. The woman was viciously attacked by up to 15 dogs on November 26. The dogs so severely injured her legs that both were amputated above the knees. She died while hospitalized on December 1. A pathologist who examined the autopsy results determined that Cheveallier was unconscious prior to being attacked by the animals.

The 15 dogs, initially described as strays by the sheriff's office, were seized and DNA tested. Their investigation showed that 14 of the dogs belonged to the same owner, Cheveallier's next-door neighbor. The sheriff's office did not report any specific breed of dog involved in the attack. Just that 14 belonged to a neighbor and one was allegedly a stray. The sheriff's office also did not report any results of the DNA tests done on the animals, just that all 15 dogs were euthanized.

Several comments left at the news article expressed frustration at the handling of the case. "It does not matter if she was unconscious or not … the owners need to be held accountable for their animals actions," wrote one. "If it would have been a person with a gun that committed this crime it would have been taken care of rather promptly. But they are unsure what to do about this case. So they come up with, 'She was not conscious at the time of the attack.' What?" wrote another.

Small jurisdictions often struggle after a horrific fatal dog mauling, not always knowing quite how to proceed legally. The Grant Parish Sheriff's Office seemingly proceeded just fine by sending the autopsy and DNA testing to an out-of-state lab for results. Continuing to be silent about the breed(s) of dogs involved and details about the dog's owner -- who owned a whopping 14 dogs that escaped his property and fatally attacked a person -- is an injustice to the community.

The sheriff's office report was forwarded to the Grant Parish District Attorney's Office for further proceedings. Chances are slim that any actions will be taken against this dog owner despite Louisiana's criminal law -- passed unanimously by legislators in 2009 after the fatal attacks of Luna McDaniel and Michael Landry -- which allows prosecutors to charge dog owners with negligent homicide who fail to properly confine their animal and the result ends in human death.

12/09/14: Dog Owners Identified
In a brief update, the Grant Parish Sheriff's Office issued a press release today regarding the "many questions and concerns surrounding" the brutal dog attack and death of Bobbie Cheveallier. Miss Bobbie was viciously attacked on November 26 by several alleged "stray" dogs when she went outside to burn her trash. She remained hospitalized in critical condition until she died on December 1. The sheriff's office rounded up 15 dogs for DNA testing after the attack.

"We are investigating all avenues related to this incident, including the possibility that Mrs. Cheveallier was unconscious or incapacitated prior to the encounter with the dogs," states the release. "We do not have any other reports before or since this incident that anyone in that area has been bitten or attacked by dogs." Owners of 14 of the so-called "stray" dogs have since been identified by authorities. The investigation is ongoing. No breed information has been released.

A December 4 report from KALB provides more information. Of the 15 dogs seized, 14 belonged to the same owner who lives in the area. Sheriff Steve McCain said his office is waiting on autopsy and DNA results. "There's not a lab in Louisiana that can perform these types of scientific tests that we need in this case and so we’ve been in touch with labs in other states as far as California," McCain said. Officials stated that they expected all test results to come back in three weeks.

12/01/14: Dog Mauling Victim Dies
Pollock, LA - An 85-year old woman who suffered catastrophic injuries by two or more loose dogs in her own yard on Wednesday died Monday at Rapides Regional Medical Center.1 Grant Parish Sheriff Steve McCain confirmed the death of Bobbie Cheveallier Monday evening after news of her death had been posted on social media. After the life-threatening attack, Cheveallier was transported to the hospital where doctors amputated both of Cheveallier's legs above the knees.

Background of the Attack

The vicious attack was first reported on Thanksgiving after the Grant Parish Sheriff's Office issued a press release. On Wednesday afternoon, deputies responded to a report of a person being mauled by two dogs on Highway 8 just west of Pollock. The elderly woman remains in critical condition, Grant Parish Sheriff Steve McCain said. The release also issued a warning, cautioning residents to be aware of any loose dogs in the area when allowing children to play outside.

Cheveallier was taking some trash outside of her home when the dogs attacked. Her son, Randy Cheveallier, told The Town Talk that the boyfriend of a neighbor saw three loose dogs outside as he was preparing to work on an outdoor project. He walked over to investigate and found "Miss Bobbie" unconscious in her yard. He yelled for his girlfriend to call 911. The couple stayed with Cheveallier until the ambulance arrived to transport her to Rapides Regional Medical Center.

Randy Cheveallier said the attack left the woman without skin on most of her legs, and that most of the tissues and muscles had been mutilated. - The Town Talk, November 29, 2014

It is unclear at this stage if anyone witnessed the attack while it was occurring. According to Randy, one witness told him that one of the dogs appeared to be wolf-like, or possibly a German shepherd or chow. This witness reported seeing three dogs, Randy said, instead of just two as the press releases stated. On Monday, Sheriff Steve McCain said that a total of 15 loose dogs were captured and taken to a veterinarian in Alexandria so that DNA samples could be taken.

Over the weekend, Randy and other family members kept a vigil at the hospital, praying for her recovery. Family members were upset when the surgeon told them that both of Cheveallier's legs would have to be amputated above the knees. But Randy also knew that she would die without the operation, complicated further by internal bleeding and that she was diabetic. Randy believes his mother would have died outside from blood loss if her neighbor had not noticed the loose dogs.

1The Grant Parish Sheriff's Office press release and all subsequent media reports describe the attacking dogs as "stray" dogs. The definition of a stray dog is that it has no owner -- the dog was dumped or abandoned by its owner. If that were truly the case, there would be little point in DNA testing.

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