New particulars have emerged about previous allegations involving a Florida girl’s canine that police say mauled a neighbor to loss of life.
And in a weird twist, a felony investigation has been opened after three canine have been discovered useless on the journey trailer the place mauling sufferer Jodi Cowan was dwelling on the time of the deadly assault.
Deputies responded to a name on June 11 a few dangerous odor on the residence, stated Tod Goodyear, public info officer of the Brevard County Sheriff’s Workplace.
The “case is ongoing awaiting an examination of the canine to find out the reason for loss of life,” Goodyear stated. “Expenses would rely upon the end result of the necropsies and the reason for loss of life. The residence was beneath the management of the boyfriend of Cowan.”
Earlier than that, extra shocking particulars have been revealed in courtroom paperwork obtained by Fox Information Digital in regards to the Might 19 canine assault that led to Cowan’s loss of life.
The year-old littermates caught on digicam attacking Cowan had attacked others and had proven aggression towards their proprietor, Linda Cutler, Brevard County Court docket data present.
Cutler, 29, has been charged with manslaughter and is held with out bond within the Brevard County Jail.
Brevard County Sheriff’s Workplace
Her arrest got here eight days after her 50-year-old neighbor, Cowan, was fatally wounded whereas strolling her personal little canine on their avenue. That canine was not one of many canine discovered useless at her residence, Goodyear stated.
It was practically 2 a.m. on Might 19 when Cowan’s companion of 30 years heard her cries for assist exterior their dwelling.
He sprinted by the darkish to avoid wasting her. And wielding a knife on the still-attacking canine, Donnell Smith frantically known as 911 and tried to cease the bleeding from Cowan’s neck, courtroom data present.
The canine snarled and snapped as Smith begged for assist throughout the eight-minute name. Cowan may very well be heard within the background saying, “I’m dying. Can’t breathe.”
Smith advised the 911 operator that the canine had “ripped out” her throat.
A medical helicopter raced Cowan to a trauma middle. Her wounds included a severed carotid artery and jugular vein, courtroom data present.
However the brutal assault on his girlfriend wasn’t the primary time Smith had tried to cease the 2 pit-bull-and-Catahoua-leopard-mix canine from savaging somebody, in response to an affidavit for an arrest warrant filed with the courtroom.
On April 14, earlier than the assault on Cowan, the identical two canine, Max and Mako, attacked fellow neighbor John Argila, in response to the affidavit.
In the course of the investigation into Cowan’s loss of life, Smith advised deputies that he “helped get the canine off” Argila. Later, he stated, he advised Cutler about her canine’ conduct, the affidavit reveals.
Argila advised investigators he’d been strolling down the highway close to Blue Bonnet Drive a bit of after 10 p.m., speaking on the cellphone and pushing his bike that had a flat tire, when he noticed Max and Mako.
He yelled at them to go dwelling. Normally, he advised deputies with the Brevard County Sheriff’s Workplace, yelling at them was sufficient to ship the canine—who escaped their yard each day—again inside their four-foot, chain-link fence, the report reveals.
However this time, they charged.
Argila stated he tried to make use of his bike as a barrier, however the canine managed to chunk him on his arms. Three different canine raced up, however didn’t chunk him, he advised deputies.
Then, a passing driver pulled up and yelled at him to get into the car, permitting him to flee, Argila advised deputies. An ambulance took him to an area hospital for remedy for canine bites, the affidavit reveals.
Deputies famous seeing therapeutic puncture wounds on Argila’s arms.
Precisely 5 weeks later, the identical two canine attacked Cowan. Her reason behind loss of life in response to the medical expert: a number of canine bites.
Historical past of aggression
After the lethal assault, a veterinarian on the sheriff’s workplace Animal Care Middle examined Max and Mako. She discovered no indicators of abuse or neglect, the affidavit reveals.
Each canine exhibited “Littermate Syndrome,” which “happens when two puppies are raised collectively and fail to develop independence and regular social expertise,” in response to the report.
“Due to the insecurity, they usually react with worry or aggression towards new folks, canine, or surroundings,” the affidavit says.
Whereas investigating, deputies noticed Max escape the yard by a gap within the fence. Max and Mako have been set to be euthanized, a sheriff’s workplace spokesman advised Fox Information Digital.
In the course of the investigation, Cutler, the canine’ proprietor, advised deputies she’d observed “a rise of aggression within the canine up to now couple months,” their report reveals. She advised deputies she “believed somebody was doing one thing to her canine to alter their conduct, however was unable to elaborate on what or who.”
Throughout a home incident together with her boyfriend, her canine confirmed aggression towards him, Cutler advised deputies. She stated she believed the aggression got here from the canine’ need to guard her.
Despite the fact that she’d put in further fencing to maintain the canine in, she knew they nonetheless have been escaping, she advised deputies.
Max and Mako’s mother and father additionally acted aggressively, Cutler advised deputies. A few 12 months earlier, their mom attacked her, she stated, and her boyfriend “strangled the canine to loss of life to guard her.”
Max and Mako’s father, Boomer, additionally had bitten somebody, which earned Cutler a quotation from the Animal Companies unit of the sheriff’s workplace, data present.
The sheriff’s workplace report lists 11 complaints involving Cutler’s canine since September 2025. One individual making a grievance stated the canine killed her cat. Others complained that the canine have been operating free. Some stated the canine have been chasing folks and appearing aggressively. Some callers expressed concern that the animals had been deserted.
Cutler was arrested for manslaughter on Might 27, eight days after Cowan’s loss of life.
Canine legislation debate
From 2011 by 2021, there have been 468 deaths in america that resulted from canine bites or strikes, in response to the Nationwide Middle for Well being Statistics.
In a examine of pediatric canine bites, researchers discovered that pit bulls have been probably the most recognized breed of the 511 circumstances through which the canine breed was recognized. And pit bulls have been probably the most generally recognized breed in circumstances requiring an operation, researchers stated within the examine printed within the September 2021 version of the Journal of Craniofacial Surgical procedure.
Researchers wrote that “numerous research from throughout the nation have recognized pit bulls, mastiffs, German shepherds and dobermans as probably the most ceaselessly recognized breeds leading to visits to the” emergency division.
More and more, deadly canine bites spark spirited debate about banning some canine breeds, together with pit bulls.
However banning particular breeds of canine isn’t the way in which to maintain folks safer, stated Holly Sizemore, chief mission officer of Greatest Mates Animal Society. Along with offering a big community of shelters with adoption companies and different packages, the group compiles insights and analytics from greater than 10,000 shelters and rescue teams throughout the nation.
“The one efficient solution to defend folks and pets is, not by breed bans, it’s by legal guidelines that target the conduct of the canine and the conduct of the proprietor,” Sizemore advised Fox Information Digital. “Breed bans waste sources. They don’t make communities safer. They don’t scale back threat.”
Practically half of US states have some type of legislation prohibiting or limiting breed-specific laws on the native stage, although the precise scope varies by state, stated Greatest Mates spokeswoman Alina Hauptman.
States that prohibit native governments from enacting breed-specific laws are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington, Hauptman stated.
Canine chunk skilled Michael Gould additionally disagrees with bans of particular breeds. He was a founding member of the New York Police Division Canine Unit and serves as an skilled witness in courtroom circumstances involving canine.
Gould champions the thought of holding canine homeowners accountable for correctly coaching and containing their canine.
He additionally argues that legislation enforcement businesses have an obligation to guard communities from animals with a recognized historical past of aggression.
“Regulation enforcement has an overarching duty to offer public security—interval,” Gould stated.
“Are there completely different legal guidelines {that a} sheriff or a legislation enforcement official has to comply with? In fact. They will’t simply randomly begin seizing canine … Possibly it’s the legal guidelines of this municipality which have to alter.”
However, he added, “this can be a public security subject. It’s not a canine subject. I might have impounded the canine.”
Canines that obtain correct care, are educated and are socialized as puppies don’t develop into harmful, he stated.
“I’ve been testifying in courtroom for 30 years for these actual incidents, and there’s not one time I blamed the canine. It’s all the time a human part to it.”
A breed ban is “feeble,” he stated. “It’s archaic. It’s a Band-Help that society needs to placed on an issue, nevertheless it by no means addresses the core of the issue.”
