A Florida woman was killed in a horrific dog attack after two larger dogs allegedly chased her down while she was walking her small dog near her home.
Jodi Cowan, 50, was out in Cocoa, Florida, in the early morning hours of Tuesday, May 19, when the terrifying attack unfolded, according to local reports citing the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office.
Surveillance video obtained by Fox 35 Orlando reportedly shows Cowan carrying her small dog as two larger dogs chase her into the road. The footage cuts off just before the mauling.
Cowan suffered severe injuries and was rushed to a nearby hospital. She later died.
Her partner, Donnell Smith, told WESH that he witnessed the nightmare shortly after 1 a.m. He said the dogs belonged to a neighbor and described seeing them “dragging” Cowan down the road.
“I saw the silhouette of the two dogs dragging my wife down the road, off into the grass in front of the truck down there,” Smith recalled.
Smith said he followed and found Cowan lying in a pool of blood, covered in dog bites.
Then the dogs came back.
He said he tried to fight them off while also doing everything he could to stop Cowan’s bleeding.
“I pulled my knife out, you know, just swinging it with one hand and holding the blood with the other, trying to stop her from bleeding,” Smith said.
Cowan was eventually airlifted to the hospital, but she died from her injuries about two hours later.
Smith described Cowan as a “great woman” whose death was especially heartbreaking because of how much she loved animals.
“She just loved people, loved dogs more than people, and for her to go out that way, it’s not right,” he told WESH.
The two dogs were described by Florida Today as mixed breeds. The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office animal division is now investigating the deadly attack.
As of Thursday, May 21, no charges had been filed against the dogs’ owner, according to Fox 35.
Under Florida law, dogs considered dangerous can be seized by animal control and are usually quarantined for at least 10 business days while investigators review the case.
Dog owners can also face serious criminal penalties if their animals severely injure or kill someone, with charges ranging from a first-degree misdemeanor to a second-degree felony depending on the circumstances.
For Smith, none of that changes the brutal reality of what happened.
Cowan had only been walking her small dog near home. Minutes later, her partner was fighting off the animals accused of killing her.
Lawsuit inbound!!
(Don’t rely on the Brevard County States Attorney for justice. You gotta sue for it!!