A Maryland woman died Monday after officials say she was mauled to death by a pit bull she had adopted only two weeks prior.
The body of Robin Conway, 64, of Columbia, was discovered by her family as the dog stood over her body, WMAR Baltimore reports, citing police.
Authorities were called to the deceased woman’s house on Tamar Drive after a report came in saying a woman had been mauled to death. Officers subsequently found Conway in her backyard with grave injuries.
Conway reportedly went for a routine walk Monday evening, but when she didn’t return at sunset, her husband went to check on her before coming upon the horrific scene — where the dog was still acting aggressively.
“Even its behavior at the scene after our first responders got there — the dog was on a leash, but lunging and barking. They tried to subdue him and ultimately had to euthanize him,” Sherry Llewellyn, a spokeswoman with the police department, said.
The dog was deemed a danger to both humans and animals, and was subsequently put down.
There were no other reports involving the dog, according to police, who told the news outlet they don’t have further information regarding the animal’s adoption, except that it took place out of state.
Conway gave the pit bull a home and “was in love with [the] dog,” her sister, Susan LeClair, told WMAR.
A standard death investigation is underway, according to officials, who said they’re awaiting autopsy results to confirm cause of the woman’s death. Further, a necropsy of the animal will be conducted to see if it had rabies or other medical problems.
According to Dogsbite.org, an organization that tracks canine-related fatalities, between 2005 and 2017, “pit bulls killed 284 Americans, about one citizen every 16.7 days.”
[Feature photo: Robin Conway, family handout]