Alabama woman killed by pack of canine; owner charged with manslaughter

An employee of the Alabama Division of Public Well being was killed by a pack of dogs within the northwestern part of the state last week as she was responding to a report about another attack involving the identical dogs earlier in the week, the Franklin County Sheriff's Office mentioned Friday on Facebook.

Jacqueline Summer time Beard was pronounced lifeless Friday by the Franklin County coroner after local residents referred to as the police to report a suspicious automobile, the sheriff's workplace mentioned. Officers discovered the automobile with Beard's body inside it in a rural area outdoors Red Bay, near the Mississippi line, based on the Facebook publish.

Beard is believed to have been attempting to contact the dog's proprietor — whom the sheriff's workplace identified as Brandy Dowdy, 39 — when the dogs killed her, the sheriff's workplace said.

AL.com, the website of several Alabama newspapers, reported that Beard was a 58-year-old environmental supervisor and a longtime employee of the Public Health Department. It reported that on Friday morning, she was following up on an incident earlier within the week wherein the canines attacked a lady who was strolling. The woman stays hospitalized in Mississippi, AL.com reported.

When officers arrived at the scene, several dogs started attacking the residents, causing one among them to sustain minor injuries and some of the dogs to be euthanized immediately, the sheriff's office mentioned. Officers then discovered Beard's physique in the automotive, the sheriff's workplace mentioned.

Dowdy was charged with manslaughter and is being held without bail, public information show.

The Franklin County Sheriff's Workplace could not instantly be reached for remark.

The Public Health Department didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.