Public Health Worker Mauled To Death By Pack Of Dogs In Alabama

A health employee from the Alabama Health Department was reportedly mauled to death by the same pack of dogs that she set out to investigate.

The victim was identified as Jacqueline Summer Beard. According to reports, she was following up on an investigation that was reported to Franklin County Animal Control.

Beard was trying to contact the owner of the pack of dogs, Brandy Dowdy. However, the health worker never returned from the investigation. Deputies would respond to a report of a suspicious vehicle in the area at around 6:00 p.m. on Sunday according to police.

When authorities arrived, they discovered that the pack of dogs had attacked several residents. One unnamed resident allegedly suffered minor injuries.

According to Sheriff Shannon Oliver In a report from AL.com, there were reportedly seven dogs in total.

It was added that there were dogs euthanized following the incident. However, it was not mentioned how many of the canines were euthanized.

Moreover, police would discover the body of Beard when they returned to the scene. She was pronounced dead by the Franklin County coroner.

The 58-year-old woman worked as an environmentalist supervisor for the Alabama Department of Public Health and had been with the department for nearly 17 years according to the ADPH.

“Summer was known to her coworkers as an exceptional person,” the department said in an official statement. “She was a tremendous team worker and was loved by those who knew her.”

As for Dowdy, the 39-year-old man was arrested for manslaughter under the state’s dangerous dog law according to the Franklin County Sheriffs’ Department.

She is now being held at the Franklin County Jail with no bail set.

Before the incident, there was also a woman who was attacked while walking along a highway. She was taken to a hospital in Tupelo, Mississippi but was later transferred. Her condition is reportedly “pretty serious” and she remains hospitalized.