By Amanda Thomason April 28, 2022 at 2:02pm
Dogs are often called man’s best friend, but they can also become formidable enemies. A community in Oklahoma is being warned by officials to keep an eye out for a wandering pack of killer dogs after a heartbreaking incident that took place earlier this week.
On Sunday, shortly after noon, the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a body in Harrah, Okla.
Upon arriving and assessing the scene, police identified the body as that of 61-year-old Anita Mears, who lived at the property. When they arrived, her dog, who was injured, was standing over her.
At first, police thought they might have a homicide on their hands, as Mears appeared to have been stabbed multiple times. But the Oklahoma County Medical Examiner went to the scene and determined the culprit was actually multiple dogs.
“That’s a sad way to die, to pass away,” Oklahoma County Sheriff Tommie Johnson III said, according to KFOR-TV. “Our hearts go out to her family.”
While this is a heartbreaking case, many are also pointing out the loyalty of Mears’ dog, who also appeared to have been wounded by the pack of dogs.
“Ms. Mears’ dog was also injured in the attack,” the sheriff’s office shared in a post. “Her dog was standing guard over Ms. Mears’ body when Deputies arrived.
“As for the dogs that attacked Ms. Mears, we don’t know whether they are wild dogs or neighborhood dogs, and because there were no witnesses, we may never know.
“We are warning folks to stay away from any packs of dogs that may be roaming the area.”
The sheriff’s office also shared a photo of the late Mears, to honor her life and extend their condolences.
“We are releasing a picture of Ms. Mears that her family provided,” their post concluded. “Our prayers are with Ms. Mears family as they work to cope with this tragedy.”
Locals who commented on the sheriff’s post expressed that this is an ongoing and worsening problem in the area.
“I myself have been told by LE if a dog is on my property being aggressive or destructive to shoot it,” one person wrote. “People dump dogs and let their dogs roam, they pack up and this happens. The Newalla/Little Axe, rural Harrah, McCloud, Noble, Norman and surrounding areas (they all mesh) don’t have shelters in the area and the people who try and get help with roaming and/or dumped animals get told to dispatch of them.”
One person identifying herself as a friend of Mears added that the family thinks she may have been trying to protect her dog from an attack and became the target in the process.
The sheriff’s office confirmed that Mears’ loyal dog has been taken in by a family member.
Amanda holds an MA in Rhetoric and TESOL from Cal Poly Pomona. After teaching composition and logic for several years, she’s strayed into writing full-time and especially enjoys animal-related topics.
As of January 2019, Amanda has written over 1,000 stories for The Western Journal but doesn’t really know how. Graduating from California State Polytechnic University with a MA in Rhetoric/Composition and TESOL, she wrote her thesis about metacognitive development and the skill transfer between reading and writing in freshman students.
She has a slew of interests that keep her busy, including trying out new recipes, enjoying nature, discussing ridiculous topics, reading, drawing, people watching, developing curriculum, and writing bios. Sometimes she has red hair, sometimes she has brown hair, sometimes she’s had teal hair.
With a book on productive communication strategies in the works, Amanda is also writing and illustrating some children’s books with her husband, Edward.
Location
Austin, Texas
Languages Spoken
English und ein bißchen Deutsch
Topics of Expertise
Faith, Animals, Cooking