Woman Fatally Mauled by Dogs in Front of Young Son

38-year-old woman killed in Pennsylvania tragedy
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 21, 2023 4:00 AM CDT
Woman Fatally Mauled by Dogs in Front of Young Son
Stock photo.   (Getty Images / katifcam)

A horrific story out of Pennsylvania, where a woman agreed to feed her neighbor's dogs while the neighbor was away—and ended up being mauled to death in front of her young son. Kristin Potter, 38, had fed the Great Danes before and her father says she'd actually been bitten by them a few years back; Potter's sister's fiance tells PennLive he believes the animals may have been fighting each other and then turned on Potter when she tried to intervene. Others have also reported the dogs had acted aggressively in the past. The Centre Township woman's son ran for help soon after the incident began, Fox News reports.

"He was present at the scene, but I don't think he was there for much of it," the Perry County coroner explains. "As soon as he saw the dogs starting to attack his mother, he ran across the road to have his brother call 911." Tragically, Potter lost her husband a few years before her death, and in 2020, her 11-year-old son was fatally struck by a vehicle while crossing the street in front of their home. The two Great Danes that attacked Potter were euthanized; a third Great Dane and a French bulldog were also in the home, but were not involved in the mauling. It's not clear whether the dogs' owner, who says she is devastated, will face any charges. (More Pennsylvania stories.)

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