Ohio woman dies after being mauled by daughter’s pit bull

Bonnie Varnes, a 58-year-old city bus driver, was found unconscious with severe wounds, and passed away shortly after in hospital.

According to the Toledo Blade, first responders arrived at Varnes' home on the 800 block of Wright Avenue in Toledo at around 6 pm Monday, and discovered her laying unresponsive in the backyard.

Lucas County coroner Dr. Diana Scala-Barnett revealed that Varnes' death was caused by bites to her head, face, and neck.

Authorities, who were sure from the get-go that the wounds had been inflicted by a dog, originally believed that the suspect was a pit bull belonging to Varnes. Further investigation revealed, however, that the alleged killer was registered to Varnes' daughter, Amelia, who lived with her mother.

The dog in question, Amenia, was apprehended by the county's

Canine Care & Control officials, and Amelia was asked to surrender custody so she could be euthanized.

As Dogsbite.org reports, Bonnie Varnes frequently posted pictures of her pit bull, Peaches, and vehemently defended the breed against accusations that they had violent tendencies.

Data shows that in the United States, 66 percent of fatal dog bites are inflicted by pit bulls. Since 2007, 246 of 521 recorded incidents of death by dog have involved the breed. According to Petpedia, there are currently around 4.5 million pit bulls in the US, putting them at 5.8 percent of all domestic canines in the country.

National Pit Bull Victim Awareness advocates on behalf of those impacted by the breed, and keeps track of attacks across the country.

Pit bulls are more likely than most to be taken to shelters, making up 22 percent of all dogs put up for adoption that way. They are also among the least likely to be taken home, spending three times more than other breeds in shelters. Half of all the pit bulls taken to shelters are euthanized.