Florida woman killed in pit bull attack as dog owner jailed
50-year-old Jodi Cowan had lived on the street for just two weeks when she was attacked shortly after midnight while walking her small dog.
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50-year-old Jodi Cowan had lived on the street for just two weeks when she was attacked shortly after midnight while walking her small dog.
A Florida woman was mauled to death by two pit bulls that had a history of terrorizing neighbors in the community, leading to the arrest of the dogs’ owner.
50-year-old Jodi Cowan had lived on the street for just two weeks when she was attacked shortly after midnight while walking her small dog. In a video posted on social media on May 27, Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey said the dogs had “once again gotten out of their yard and were roaming the neighborhood.”
Video footage from a neighbor’s security camera showed the “extremely troubling and graphic" incident in which they attacked Cowan. Cowan was seen holding her small dog to her chest as she screamed and tried to flee.
The dogs “began to brutally attack and maul Cowan, forcing her to the ground, viciously attacking her, and eventually dragging her across the ground for quite some distance.” Cowan’s partner heard the screams and tried to stop the attack "by swinging a knife at the dogs and trying to drive them away.” He called 911 and tried to fight back against the dogs.
Cowan was taken to a nearby trauma center and died four hours later.
The dogs belonged to neighbor Linda Cutler. According to Fox News, one resident, Dominica Midkiff, said the dogs would “terrorize” them. An investigation from the sheriff's office revealed that Cutler knew her dogs repeatedly got out of her yard and … were attacking humans and … took minimal action to prevent the dogs from getting out of her yard, even after being cited by Animal Services," said Ivey. The dogs had also previously bitten a neighbor who needed medical treatment.
The neighbor called the sheriff's office at least 14 times since October 2024 about the animals. They expressed concern about the dogs roaming the neighborhoods and that they may be neglected.
Cutler was arrested and indicted during the investigation she knew her dogs were escaping and had bitten someone. She also pretended to have a heart attack when she was arrested. She is being held without bond, as she was currently free from jail on another charge.
The dogs are now being held by the county’s animal services unit and will be euthanized.
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