Two Great Dane dogs that police say killed an Ohio woman were said by the victim’s husband to have been aggressive and had urged his wife to get rid of them.
Mark Matthews said he found his wife laying unresponsive on the bathroom floor in their Clearcreek Township home on Friday, upon coming home after being gone for a few days. He had been in county jail since Wednesday and returned home that day, authorities said.
An officer responded to the home around 2:30 p.m. Friday, after getting a call regarding a possible drug overdose, reported Fox News, citing an incident report.
The Warren County Coroner’s Office said 49-year-old Mary Matthews bled to death following an attack by one or both dogs. Police found blood throughout the home, including the garage, bathroom, and living room.
The cause of death has been determined to be a “dog attack,” said Clearcreek Township police Chief John Terrill. Matthews suffered multiple wounds, according to an incident report.
Authorities believe that Mary was eventually able to put the dogs outside before succumbing to her injuries, adding that she may not have realized the extent of her injuries and therefore didn’t get help. There was evidence that she had changed her clothing as well as attempted to clean up the blood with towels.
Police also found debris in the home including beer cans and medication bottles and said the victim suffered from chronic alcoholism and took several prescription medications, which may have impaired her ability to respond to the situation appropriately, reported WLWT.
“Due to this history, it is felt that (Mary Matthews) may not have been in a clear-minded state to judge the severity of her situation and thus failed to call for help,” the police report said.
Investigators found the two “large but thin” Great Danes on an enclosed deck of the home.
Matthews said he and his wife rescued the dogs about two years ago and that they were known to be aggressive and had bitten his wife in the past. He also said one had recently bitten him on the wrist.
“I wanted to get rid of him, but she wouldn’t,” he told WLWT. “She loves animals.”
Mark says he hopes other families can learn a lesson from this occurrence and get rid of any vicious dogs they own.
“I wouldn’t take the chance at all because they’re a ticking time bomb,” he said.
Both dogs were handed over to the Warren County Dog Warden and later euthanized.
The Associated Press & the CNN-Wire contributed to this report.
