7 Dachshund-Mix Dogs Maul Woman To Death In Rural Oklahoma

A woman in rural Oklahoma was mauled to death when seven dogs, allegedly belonging to a neighbor, attacked her last week.

On May 10, Tracy Garcia, 52, was mauled to death near her house in on Banyon Road in Ardmore, Oklahoma. It is not clear what led the dogs to behave in such a vicious manner.

The dogs were mostly “standard dachshund and terrier mix” canines, which are typically small and weigh about 40 pounds. They are characterized by short legs and long bodies, often being given the nickname "sausage dogs." Although it was initially reported that a pit bull was among the dogs which attacked Garcia, that was not the case.

Carter County Sheriff Chris Bryant said police had to shoot one of the dogs when it attacked officers after they reached the scene.

“Unfortunately, yes, we had to shoot one dog,” Bryant told local news outlet Oklahoma News 4. “It did charge our deputies and to protect our deputies, as well as the medical personnel, we did have to put down a dog.”

The other six dogs were euthanized at the request of the dog owner. The euthanasia expert, Amanda Dinwiddie, confirmed six of the canines were “a mix of dachshund and terrier, while the other was believed to be a border collie mix.”

Dinwiddie also said that four of the dogs were male, while the other three were female. Their ages “ranged from probably a year to about three years.” It was also noted by her that the oldest one could have been the mother of the rest.

She added the dogs had “really noticeable characteristics like their knobby legs, knees, very short legged dogs and their coats.” According to the expert, while the dogs did not have any major health problems, they were covered in fleas and ticks.

"We were cleaning ticks off ourselves all day," she said. "They are very covered; you can tell they have been living out in the woods."

“This is a bad situation, a very unfortunate situation,” Bryant told NBC affiliated KTEN. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of the victims,” he added. “This is just a bad deal all the way around.”

He added that they were in the process of getting the autopsy results ready for the District Attorney’s Office. After reviewing the necessary documents, the District Attorney would decide whether to press charges against the dog owner.

Garcia’s funeral was performed May 15. Her obituary said her husband died in 2006 and that she was survived by a son and daughter.

“Tracy played piano in the Baptiste Family Band. The family sang and played gospel throughout the years… She went to work for Indian Health Care and Resource Center in Tulsa, Okla., for many years… Working for Braum’s as an Assistant Manager and later took a position with the Tulsa Country Club as part of the kitchen staff,” her obituary mentioned.

Most recently, Garcia worked as a housekeeper at the Hilton Inn in Ardmore, Oklahoma, in order to support her family financially.