Illinois woman, 52, mauled to death by her own French Bulldog in 'vicious' attack inside her home
FOX LAKE, ILLINOIS: An animal lover was reportedly mauled to death by a French bulldog she had recently rescued and brought home. Responding officers at the Fox Lake, Chicago residence described the scene of the death as "gruesome.
The Lake County coroner's office said that officers from Fox Lake were summoned at about 4:43 pm on Saturday, May 9, to a home where a woman was found responsive. A death investigation was launched shortly after, CBS Chicago reports.
52-year-old Lisa Urso, of Ingleside, succumbed to injuries she sustained after her French bulldog attacked her, according to autopsy results obtained by the coroner’s office Tuesday. Authorities are still awaiting toxicology reports.
The coroner's office said the attack took place inside Urso's home. She managed to make it out to her patio but died there shortly after.
"The investigation into her death continues by our office and the Fox Lake Police Department,” stated Dr. Howard Cooper, Lake County coroner.
“We have been in close contact with Ms. Urso’s family and our deepest condolences go out to them during this difficult time. This is truly a tragedy,” he added.
Cooper described the attack as "vicious."
"It (injury) wasn’t the neck, most were in her legs and arms. Some on her torso as well. Just a lot of bites. A lot of scratching," he explained. "I hate to say it but unfortunately, it was a vicious attack."
"You don’t really think about it happening with a smaller dog breed but we forget animals can be powerful," he added. "This animal has a lot of jaw strength."
According to the report, Urso lived with her boyfriend and had brought the pedigree from a shelter after it was apparently rescued from a dog-fighting ring.
The dog had reportedly previously attacked Urso's boyfriend, after which the couple called animal control. But Urso got the canine back from the pound again, and was home alone when she was fatally mauled by the animal in question.
Urso is seen cradling two different French bulldogs in photos posted on social media. However, it is unclear which of those dogs — if any — was the one that assaulted her.
Nonetheless, it was reported that the killer pet along with two other dogs had been seized by animal control officers on Monday night.
According to a report by Metro, one of them had blood stains on its coat. The third dog was a Border collie and reportedly showed no signs of violence or injury.
Having said that, french bulldogs are said to be one of the most sought after breeds, and owners often shell out anything between $1,500 and $3,000 per pet. The particular breed is well known for its sociable and affectionate temperament.
French bulldogs have had a long history as companion dogs. They were originally bred in England to be a miniature bulldog and often accompanied English lacemakers to France, where they acquired their "Frenchie" moniker, according to dogtime.com.
Furthermore, they also served as excellent ratters once upon a time. And while they are somewhat a rare dog breed, they can be found in shelters and rescues.