2 Pit Bulls Maul Owner's Mom To Death, Get Euthanized

A 61-year-old woman in Franklin County, Missouri, was mauled to death by her daughter's dogs earlier this week.

Leann Gratzer was attacked by two male pit bulls and one female mixed breed dog outside her daughter's home in the 2400 block of Highway TT, east of St. Clair, Missouri, Monday afternoon, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported, citing Franklin County Sheriff Steve Pelton.

No one had witnessed the fatal attack, the sheriff said.

The incident was reported, and responding deputies found Gratzer lying in the front yard of the residence. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

The dogs, which were owned by Gratzer's daughter and the daughter's roommate, were in a yard that had an invisible underground electric fence, police said. They were later turned over to the sheriff's department.

The three animals were euthanized by a local veterinarian Tuesday afternoon following Gratzer's death, according to authorities.

"The owners were in agreement," Pelton said.

The sheriff described the incident as a "sad situation," noting that Gratzer had "been around the dogs numerous times." Pelton said it was unclear why the dogs attacked her.

Additionally, Pelton said that Gratzer never had an issue before with them and that he could not find any record of past complaints to county officials that the dogs had been aggressive.

Authorities are waiting for a final autopsy report with toxicology results, which could take weeks.

Deputies will submit their report regarding the incident to the county's prosecutor for any decision about the charges the owners could face, according to Pelton.

In a similar story, an 8-day-old boy in North Carolina was fatally attacked by a pit bull last month after the baby's family adopted the dog. The incident happened inside a home in Kenly, southeast of Raleigh, on Nov. 10.

The Johnston County Animal Control took the dog, and the animal was euthanized after being held for 72 hours.

First responders involved in the incident, including members of the fire department, emergency medical personnel and 911 dispatchers, were offered counseling.