An 80-year-old woman was mauled to death by two dogs while she was out for a walk, authorities in California said.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department said in a news release that deputies found 80-year-old Soon Han unresponsive in a roadway in the rural desert community of Blady Mesa on Friday morning. They believe she was out for a stroll when two dogs from a home attacked her. The dogs left her with “major injuries” and she was pronounced dead at the scene, deputies said.
The dogs’ owner is cooperating with the investigation, officials said. San Bernardino County Animal Control took custody of the dogs, which were both Dogos Argentinos, and they will be both held until the investigation is complete and a hearing is held, authorities said.
According to the American Kennel Club, Dogo Argentinos are strong hunting dogs that have been used in search and rescue, military and police operations and as service dogs. They also make for “great household pets,” the organization said, but cautioned they are only suitable for the “right owners.”
“Dogos are protective of their people, so early socialization and training are extremely important. To be sure, this is not the dog for an inexperienced owner or one who is unable or unwilling to take charge,” the American Kennel Club said in a post about the breed, which was first recognized by the organization in 2020.
The incident marks the latest in a string of recent fatal attacks. Last week, two young children died and their mother was hospitalized after two family dogs attacked them in Tennessee. Last month, an 89-year-old woman died from injuries she sustained when two dogs attacked her and her 12-year-old grandson in Colorado.
