Citation

Le Garff E, Mesli V, Delannoy Y, Pollard J, Bécart A, Hédouin V. J. Forensic Sci. 2017; 62(5): 1379-1382.

Affiliation

Service de Médecine Légale, CHU Lille, F-59000, Lille, France.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, American Society for Testing and Materials, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/1556-4029.13370

PMID

28597975

Abstract

We present the case of a 91-year-old woman lived alone at her home with two domestic dogs, that is,, a Labrador Retriever and a Staffordshire Bull Terrier and found dead. The investigation of the scene revealed that the Bull Terrier's jawbone and chest were covered with blood. The autopsy revealed multiple, histologically confirmed, life-threatening skin and bone lacerations without scavenging marks. The punctures and tearing of each of the wounds on the skin were compatible with bites. A left humeral fracture and multiple fractures of the right facial bones were observed. The death was attributed to external hemorrhages due to several dog bites. A veterinary physical and behavioral examination indicated that the Bull Terrier was involved in the attack. A domestic predation hypothesis was deemed here most likely due to the presence of food supplies at the scene, the dog's previous history of attack, and the breed of the dog.

© 2017 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Language: en

Keywords

animal behavior; autopsy; dog bites; dog predation; fatal dog attack; forensic science