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Elderly Woman Found Mauled To Death In Titusville Home

Friday, June 27, 2008 – updated: 2:30 pm EDT June 28, 2008

A 74-year-old woman was found mauled to death by her two dogs Thursday evening, Titusville police said Friday.


ANIMAL NEWS: Read More Stories About Animals In The News

The woman, identified by police as Loraine May, was found by her son Thursday evening inside her home on Elliot Avenue (see map). He called 911 and officers responded around 5:00pm.

Police said an autopsy performed on May by the Brevard County Medical Examiner's Office led them to believe her death was caused by multiple, blunt trauma, inflicted by two of her three dogs. Investigators said the three dogs in the home had "manipulated" the scene by time they arrived, as May's body was believed to have been there for several hours.

A final determination on the cause could take up to 12 weeks.

The two dogs suspected by police in the attack, a golden lab mix and an Australian Shepherd mix, were taken into custody by Brevard County Animal Control. Police said they don't believe her third dog, a cocker spaniel, was involved.

A neighbor told Eyewitness News he thinks she may have been mauled when one of the larger dogs got into a fight with the cocker spaniel and May tried to break them apart.

Police told Eyewitness News they believe the family has authorized the dogs to be euthanized.

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