What Kind of Dog is This?

[Jeff Higgins]

The article doesn't say:



Sheriff: 22-year-old Va. woman mauled to death by own dogs | KOMO

GOOCHLAND Co., Va. (WSET) — Police in Goochland County, Virginia are investigating after a woman was found dead in a wooded area in the eastern part of the county.
Police said they've determined the woman was mauled to death by her own dogs, according to WRIC in Richmond.

The Goochland County Sheriff's Office said it got a call around 8:15 p.m. Thursday from a man who found the woman's body near the 2200 block of Manakin Road.
The sheriff's office later said it was the woman's father who went looking for his daughter where she often walked her dogs.
On Friday, police identified the woman as 22-year-old Bethany Stephens.

When deputies found her body, they said her body had suffered "severe trauma" and was being guarded by the two dogs.
"It appeared the attack was a violent attack initiated by the victims' dogs while the victim was out for a walk with the dogs," Sheriff Agnew said the Medical Examiner's initial report indicated. "The victim had defensive wounds on her hands and arms trying to keep the dogs away from her, which would be consistent with being attacked while she was still alive."

Sheriff James Agnew said it appeared the first traumatic injury she suffered was to her throat and face.
"It appears she was taken to the ground, lost consciousness, and the dogs then mauled her to death," he said.
The sheriff's office said deputies had to use tranquilizer guns to catch the dogs.
"It was an absolutely grisly mauling," Goochland County Sheriff Agnew said. "In my 40 years of law enforcement, I've never seen anything quite like it. I hope I never see anything like it again."
The dogs are with Goochland Animal Control and the sheriff's office said the dogs will be euthanized.

[asphaltgambler]

That's not all that far from me....

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by peteremsley

looks like a pit or American Stafford to me.

I'm ashamed to admit that was my first thought as well. Then I realized, of course, that I was unfairly profiling a gentle, loving breed of dog that is quite incapable of such behavior. It just has to be some other breed - probably a bad photo. Yeah, that's it. It just can't be a Pit...

Hmmm... unless an abusive owner, such as the one shown in the photo, is a part of the equation - then it might be an abused Pit. Otherwise it would never have done such a thing. I mean, just look how she torments that poor dog. No wonder it lashed out. My Golden Retriever would no doubt react in much the same way if I treated him like that.

What a tragedy. How many more like her have to be killed and maimed by these viscous beasts before their defenders acknowledge there is a problem? Enough is enough. These animals have no place in society.

[Aerkuld]

Jeff - for every 'bad' pit bull you can find I'm sure I could show you ten that are the sweetest dogs you'll ever meet. You can't just say an entire breed of dog is aggressive anymore than someone else can blame violence on a particular type of gun.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by peteremsley

looks like a pit or American Stafford to me.

Muzzle looks too long and narrow for that, but it's hard to tell from the picture. Having been involved in pit bull rescue I can tell you PBs are loyal, gentle, devoted dogs. They do tend to choose bad owners at a higher than normal rate.

[M.D. Holloway]

Is it possible that her dogs did not do it and that she was breaking up a dog fight that got out of control? Her dogs may have been protecting her when animal control arrived?

[Superman]

Pit Bulls can be very sweet dogs. Dogs and other animals are not the problem. It's the adult humans....that's the problem.

[M.D. Holloway]

I am pretty sure my dogs would eat me, heck they eat pretty much anything anyway and if there is a remnant of peanut butter scent on it they would eat it regardless of plant, animal, mineral...

[nota]

black coat with a white spot like that dog is common in lab crosses

could be a lab x pit ?

I have a lab x GSD X chow mix

anyway the story has other dogs not pictured

[ckelly78z]

Pitts are the sweetest breed in the world....until they aren't !

The thing is, Pitts are more likely than other breeds to reach that point for whatever reason with no turning back.

[M.D. Holloway]

Brindle Boxer mix?

[Crowbob]

Just going by the pic and the story attached to it I'd say that dog is one of the best pits there ever was and ever will be.

Dead.

[speeder]

That's a regular old pit bull and what a tragic, terrible story. Awful way to die.

The chance of one of my German Shepherds, (or most anyone else's), doing that to its owner is about zero.

[stomachmonkey]

I find it difficult to comprehend any dog would do that to a loyal owner unprovoked.

Do her dogs have any injuries?

How did they react when they were found with her?

Not discounting it may not have been her dogs but it's not logical.

[Tobra]

They were guarding her body, according to the OP. They "determined the dogs attacked her," because they are psychic.

Basenji/Cocker Spaniel mix

You can find a better example than this, Mr Higgins. Surely there are witnessed attacks by pit bulls every single day. Try harder.

[LWJ]

My goofy lab might slob on me some...

[WPOZZZ]

My sister's Tibetan has tried to kill me many times! He uses nerve gas.

[varmint]

I know the cat has thought about murdering me. Not the dogs.

[eddie914]

Be very, very careful attempting to break up a "dog fight". A friend was in hospital for a week and in casts for 9 weeks after attempting to separate her two loving pooches ... she was worried they would hurt each other.

My brother-in-law who still lives on the ranch generally uses his size 11 Redwing boot to help the dogs settle a "disagreement".

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by eddie914

Be very, very careful attempting to break up a "dog fight"........

^^^^ This! I have a few permanent scars on both of my arms from doing this (unintentional bites) when I first encountered a pack brawl...instinct was just to jump in. Friend's wife had neighbors call 911/EMT a few years ago...

If you've never been exposed to this....consider yourself lucky.

I've made comments on other threads regarding PBs, so I won't here. Still around one mix who loves me to death....but I would not own one. Been around too many who were unpredictable as to when they would " go off".....

Sorta like driving drunk....you might do it 1000 times with no issues....and then it happens