Pack Of Small Dogs Mauled An Oklahoma Mother To Death, Police Say

A pack of small dogs mauled an Oklahoma mother to death, and police had to shoot and kill one of them when it tried to attack an officer.

Tracy Garcia, 52, was mauled by seven dogs on a road by her home in Ardmore last Thursday, police said. Not one of the seven dogs weighed more than forty pounds.

Garcia died at a hospital later that day from her injuries. Her funeral was held Tuesday.

When police arrived at the scene, they shot one of the dogs to death as it attempted to attack a responding officer, KXII-TV in Ardmore reported. The rest were taken to the Ardmore Animal Shelter, where they were euthanized.

The shelter's euthanasia technician Amanda Dinwiddie said six of the dogs appeared to be standard dachshund and terrier mixes. The seventh was likely a border collie mix, she told KXII-TV.

The dogs were young, and all ranged in age from about a year to three years, according to Dinwiddie. Three were females and the rest were males.

Dinwiddie said all seven of the dogs were heavily infested with fleas and ticks, and it was clear that they had been living in wildlife for some time. Because all the dogs and the victim are deceased, they were not tested for rabies.

According to Garcia’s obituary, she was a mother of two who came from a musical family, singing gospel and playing piano in her youth. She worked as a dental hygienist and housekeeper. Her husband passed away in 2006.

Police are investigating what triggered the deadly attack and if there will be any charges filed against the dogs’ owner, who has not been identified. 

"This is a bad situation, a very unfortunate situation," Carter County Sheriff Chris Bryant told KTEN in Ardmore. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of the victims. This is just a bad deal all the way around."

[Photo: Getty Images]