Dianne Reves, 70, was mauled to death by a pack of loose dogs in her backyard.
Fatal Pack Attack
Grenada County, MS - A woman is dead after being attacked by a pack of dogs, the Grenada County Sheriff’s Department said Friday. Sheriff Alton Strider identified the victim as 70-year old Dianne Reves, who was discovered Thursday afternoon by a neighbor in the 1600 block of Carpenter Road. Sheriff's deputies responded to the area at 3:30 pm. Investigators described her injuries as "several hundred dog bites." Seven mixed-breed dogs were seized from the scene.
"We’re talking about several hundred dog bites here ... we believe that the attack happened sometime Wednesday." - Investigator Josh Dale
"We believe that we have all of the dogs involved," Investigator Josh Dale told the Grenada Star. "We are having them all tested to get a better look at their involvement in the attack," Dale said. Investigators did not release the name of the dog' owner, who presumably lives nearby, or the specific location of the deadly attack (on the victim's own property or not). Reves was a mother and a grandmother. She worked as a nurse for many years in Grenada, reports the Star.
An evening update by WJTV said that locals are saying the dogs' owner is Phillip Sr Cross, the victim's neighbor on Carpenter Road, who is a long time dog hoarder and backyard breeder. Sheriff Strider told WTVA that Reves died in her backyard when the dogs attacked her. The dogs are currently being held at the pound. The dogs' owner has not been cited as the investigation continues, Strider said. A veterinarian is being brought in to analyze the dogs, Strider said.
According to a Monday update by the Grenada Star, the seven fatally attacking dogs, which weighed an estimated 80 pounds each, have since been euthanized, Sheriff Strider said.
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Law enforcement departments across the United States should release consistent "baseline" information to the media and the public after each fatal dog mauling, including these items.
Here we go again with that “mixed breed” label. I’ll bet you money that those “mixed breed” dogs are pit bulls.
Lab and German Shepard
yeah right
It disgusts me that they would pollute the GSD gene pool with pit genes.
German Shepherds are such great dogs I hate even hearing about this.
Any update on the Pappazoglou pits in Wellington, Florida? They have mounted this huge sob story petition to save their pibbles via the FB page of one of the daughters. And their story keeps changing – almost every aspect of it changes.
Me, too. I have a GSD–we got him this summer–and he is amazing. Just amazing. I have always suspected that GSDs were the best dogs, but now I know for sure. 😉
Way back when we first started looking for one, though (we were still living abroad), I saw an ad for “German Shepherd crosses” online. I sent them a message asking what they were crossed with; you know what answer I got (the answer I suspected I’d get). “They’re GS x Staffy.” For a long time I considered replying to tell him I was definitely not interested in anything that was part “Staffy,” and to ask him why he would do that to a GSD, but in the end I just kept silent. The pit pushers won’t be happy until they have made every dog in the world a pit cross. It’s disgusting.
several hundred bites and no one is in jail. This is insanity.
I can’t even imagine how painful this woman’s death was. Dog bites are extremely painful due to the crushing of the tissues. He’s probably going to get a slap on the wrist. They’ll probably struggle to have any documentation that they were chronically off leash/out of the yard and that they had been aggressive towards others. He’ll say he’s sorry and that will be the end of it. I hope her family sues him and I hope he’s forced to look at pictures of her body and her wounds in court. I hope they haunt him forever.
One takeaway from the articles was: “No charges yet filed”. The comments section is basically just a kindergarten level back-and-forth on exactly what breed it is.
Is it known if the owner’s “rap sheet” will be revealed… I’m sure the neighborhood had been subject to frequent loud barking, dog off leash, dogs behaving dangerously and so forth.
Why the owner not locked up? Why not! & animal control do your job don’t get on here trying to be a smart tail & this sweet lady lost her life because dogs roaming the county & city.
The owners of those dogs should be held accountable!! This lady was killed in her own damn yard!!!
I hope the breeder is sued or at least banned from breeding any more dogs. Hopefully the dogs will all be put down. And the family should be forced to stop trying to save the bloody monsters.
I suspect he is what lawyers call “judgement proof”.
This was a great lady. She was a young 70 and expected to have many more years. Dogs are animals. Any time dogs – no matter the breed – can form a pack with an irresponsible and uncaring owner, there is no way to predict what that pack can and will do – usually kill anything in their path.
My questions are: 1) Did Diane know about the dogs and the owner? Had she reported to law enforcement with no results? 2). How will Mississippi law hold this owner accountable and make laws to ensure this doesn’t happen again?
I have personally experienced how law enforcement will NOT enforce my county’s Pitt Bull ordinance. I also love in a county area and have been faced with a Pitt Bull to NO HELP of law enforcement. However, it’s not just Pitt Bulls – ANY dogs form packs. I leave my rural home every day with weapon in hand – locked and loaded. If it growls and comes toward me, it dies.
Is there any way to get a picture of these dogs? I know they were euthanized (which is strange, since most of the time, even if dogs kill, they are quarantined before being put down). If the owner was advertising GSD/pit bull mixes, surely he had pictures of his “product” online.
I’m also very anxious to see photos. It seems like photos of the attacking dogs should be required as part of an investigation into this death, like documenting a weapon. I’m sure you’re doing all that’s possible to find these pictures. Thank you for your diligence, Colleen.
I truly shudder to think what this lady went through in her final moments, all alone as these huge dogs tore her to pieces. Such a kind looking face. What a needless loss to that family and community.
This is why I don’t even go out in my own fenced back yard without a weapon.
This also has happened to me last Wednesday. A mixed breed pit bull came in my yard attacked my small dog and my neighbor small dog. As I went outside to fire a shot in the air trying to get it off mine the pit turned on me. I had to start running and my neighbor small dog got between us and the pit attacked him. I’m assuming my dog was in heat was the reason why he came on my land. I live in Gore Springs way out in the country so someone may have dropped him off. I called 911 to send the sheriff dept out here. When the sheriff dept showed up he saw what the pit bull did to my dog and he saw the pit bull with all the blood still on him. He didn’t call animal control just told us if the dog came back in our yard shoot the dog. I’m very concerned that people just drop off dogs out here to fend for themselves but now I’m even more concerned that the law told me to start shooting them myself. I’m very scared to go outside in my own yard.
Dianne was the sweetest person ever. She was a beautiful active contributor to good in Grenada. Pit bulls or any pb mix is a danger whether the owner says it is a family pet and sooooo sweet. They will turn in a minute and won’t let go. I heard on a talk show that the average pit bull attacks = 2 a DAY. WHY aren’t they outlawed ??????