Pit bull attack: Ohio mom, 58, mauled to death by daughter's pet dog in home's backyard
TOLEDO, OHIO: A woman was mauled to death by her daughter's pet pit bull in their home's backyard in Ohio. Bonnie Varnes, 58, was fatally attacked between 5.54 pm and 5.59 pm on Monday, February 20, according to a report from the Toledo Police Department. Later, a neighbor discovered the woman's body laying in the backyard. The neighbor immediately called 911, and the woman was rushed to the hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.
In the video footage obtained by the Ohio police agency, the 58-year-old woman is seen leaving their house through the back door with one of her daughter's dogs on a leash. But as soon as they stepped out, Amina the dog grabbed onto the woman and started attacking, Newsobserver reported. Authorities didn't receive any call to check on Varnes as she was alone at home, until 6.23 pm, according to the police.
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Neighbor discovered the body
According to the incident report, one of her neighbors had been smoking a cigarette close to his second-story window when he noticed her body in the yard as a dog ran around her. To check whether anybody was home, he contacted Varnes' daughter. After that, he dialed 911 and arrived at Varnes' house. Varnes was discovered face down in the backyard by the cops, according to the authorities. She was immediately transported to the University of Toledo Medical Center, where she was declared dead at 6.30 pm. Police claimed to have spoken with Varnes' daughter, who stated she had returned home after receiving a call from a neighbor. According to the report, the daughter saw her mother covered in blood in their yard when she got home. Amina was also covered in blood. She has two pit bulls, Poochie and Amina, and they live with them.
Police claimed that she locked Amina in the garage and placed Poochie in a bedroom. The daughter told the police that Amina was vicious "at times". According to authorities, the last time Varnes and her daughter saw one another was around 8:30 in the morning of the attack.
'We are devastated by the loss'
Varnes previously worked as a bus driver for Washington Local Schools, WTVG reported. “Bonnie worked for WLS for over 30 years and was a deeply loved, valued member of our transportation team,” the district said in a statement to the TV station. “We are (devastated) by this loss.” Amina has been seized by a Lucas County dog warden, according to the police. “Obviously the family can choose to euthanize the dog. Or, if they don’t, we would deem the dog dangerous more than likely — that’s usually what happens — and then it’s up to the courts to decide the outcome,” Cassie Bloomfield with the Lucas County Canine Care and Control told WTVG.