RED BAY, Ala. (AP) — An Alabama sheriff says a public health worker was killed by dogs after she went to a home to follow up on a report about dogs attacking and injuring another person days earlier.
Franklin County Sheriff Shannon Oliver said the dogs’ owner, Brandy Dowdy, 39, has been charged with manslaughter and with violating Alabama’s dangerous dog law, WTVA-TV reported.
Jail records on Sunday did not show whether she is represented by an attorney.
Oliver said deputies on Friday saw several dogs attacking people south of Red Bay, and that led to one person suffering minor injuries and to some dogs being euthanized.
Deputies were in the area to investigate an unknown vehicle and they found the body of Jacqueline Beard, an Alabama Department of Public Health employee.
Oliver said Beard was there because of a dog attack earlier in the week that sent someone to a hospital in Jackson, Mississippi, with injuries.
The sheriff said investigators believe the dogs attacked Beard as she tried contacting their owner. Red Bay is in northern Alabama, on the Mississippi state line. SOURCE.
Official Statement, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of a woman after a pack of dangerous dogs attacked her earlier today.
Alabama Department of Public Health employee was following up on the dog attack from earlier this week when she was attacked by the same pack of dogs.
The employee, Jacqueline Summer Beard, was located after someone called about a suspicious vehicle on Crumpton Road outside of Red Bay.
When deputies arrived, they were met by residents on Crumpton road. Several dogs started attacking the residents when deputies were there, and one person received minor injuries.
Some of the dogs had to be euthanized immediately. When the deputies started investigating the suspicious vehicle, they located the body of Jacqueline Beard. Franklin County Coroner Charlie Adcox was summoned and pronounced Beard deceased.
Beard was following up on an incident that had been reported to Franklin County Animal Control where a lady was attacked by a pack of dogs earlier this week. It is believed that Beard was attacked as she was attempting to contact the dog’s owner when she was killed by the dogs. Investigators have arrested Brandy Dowdy for Manslaughter and Dangerous Dog law, (Emily’s Law).
