Milwaukee Medical Examiner: 49-year-old woman found dead after being "mauled to death by her dog"

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MILWAUKEE, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A 49-year-old woman was found dead in her home over the weekend after the Medical Examiner says she was "mauled to death by her dog."

According to the Medical Examiner's Office, the woman's son arrived at the victim's home near 28th and Clybourn on Saturday after the victim had not been seen or heard from for a few days.

The woman was allegedly found dead and the woman's dogs began to guard her and growl at her son when he tried to enter the home. The son told police that he shot one of the dogs because it became hostile and wouldn't move away from the victim.

Upon arrival, officers also found two other dogs in the residence, a smaller possible Chihuahua, and another dog which appeared to be a Pitbull.

The victim's family said that the woman had complained of being tired and possibly having a cold prior to her death. The family also said that the dogs were not violent and had never attacked a person before.

The Medical Examiner has ruled the cause of death as "multiple punctures and blunt force injuries" due to "mauling by dogs."

A neighbor told CBS 58 News that the woman's family has been gathering at the home, grieving ever since.

"I gave that lady a hug and said I'm so sorry, she hugged me and said than you so very much," said Josephine Simpson.

Simpson says her neighbor was always friendly but she didn't know much about the dogs.

"Never seen the dogs, never, they're just always barking," Simpson said.

"Every dog is different. Taking the breed for being aggressive would be a mistake in this case. There's more to the story we don't know," said Kathy Shillinglaw, Outreach Coordinator for MADACC.

MADACC deals with dogs that bite every day and they say there are some warning signs.

"Growling, bearing teeth, guarding food, guarding toys, guarding individuals," said Shillinglaw.

MADACC says dogs can be trained to manage aggression, they recommend reaching out to a veterinarian for help and a treatment plan. The vet can determine whether the aggressiveness is medical or behavioral.


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