A woman was arrested and charged with manslaughter after her two dogs killed a neighbor during a morning walk in Cocoa, Brevard County, Flórida. The attack took place on May 19th. Jodi Cowan, 50, suffered serious injuries and died hours later at an area hospital.
The victim’s husband witnessed part of the attack and tried to intervene. Donnell Smith used a knife to fend off the animals, but the wounds were already deep. Cowan was taken to medical care and did not survive.
Cães jumped the fence and dragged the victim down the street
The dogs, identified as Max and Mako, left Linda Cutler’s property and attacked Cowan. Eles knocked the woman to the ground, attacked her violently and dragged her a considerable distance. The police report records that the incident occurred on a residential street.
Testemunhas reported that the animals were frequently loose. Vizinhos had previously made complaints about the dogs’ aggressive behavior. A resident of the area stated that they roamed freely around the neighborhood.
Brevard County Sheriff, Wayne Ivey, detailed the sequence of events. The dogs climbed the fence of the owner’s house and headed straight for the victim, who was walking with her own small dog. The attack was captured on security cameras at a nearby residence.
- Dogs attacked Jodi Cowan while she was holding her pet
- Donnell Smith heard the screams and ran to help
- The victim suffered bites on several parts of his body, including his neck.
- Equipes doctors tried to save her for about two hours in the hospital
- The animals were collected by county animal control.
Marido describes the scene of violence he witnessed
Donnell Smith reported the moment he found his wife. Ele said he saw the dogs dragging her body down the street. The man struggled to fend off the animals while trying to stop the bleeding.
“Seeing the same woman I loved for 25 or 30 years being attacked like that was brutal,” Smith said. Ele mentioned that the image still disturbs him. Cowan was known in the community for her love of animals and morning walks.
Investigadores confirmed that the dogs already had a history of escapes. Previous Queixas were recorded, but did not result in harsher measures at the time. The sheriff highlighted that state law limited preventive actions in such cases.
Proprietária of the dogs had previous complaints in the region
Linda Cutler, 29 years old, was arrested on May 27th. The arrest occurred near a hotel in Melbourne, during a separate incident. Autoridades reported that she feigned illness to resist arrest.
Cutler faced a court hearing days later. The judge set bail at $250,000. Ela is charged with the crime of manslaughter. The case remains under investigation by the local police.
Vizinhos described dogs as a recurring problem. Registros show dozens of complaints about animals loose in the area over time. Algumas complaints involved attacks on other residents.
Cães will be euthanized after a period of quarantine
Max and Mako will undergo quarantine and then be euthanized, as decided by the authorities. Sheriff Ivey confirmed that the animals will not be returned to the street. Cutler is also prevented from having new pets.
The attack generated commotion in the Cocoa community. Moradores demand greater rigor in monitoring dangerous animals. The discussion about owners’ liability gained strength after the case.
Investigação investigates history of leaks and ignored complaints
Authorities review all previous records involving Cutler’s dogs. The objective is to understand why measures were not taken earlier. The victim’s husband said he alerted authorities about the risk.
Cowan helped neighbors and had a good relationship with the community. Ela was described as a caring person who loved dogs. The contrast with the tragedy reinforces the impact on the neighborhood.
The prosecution is expected to present more details in the coming weeks. The legal process remains ongoing at Justiça of Flórida.