St. Louis Woman Dies After Being Ripped Apart by Pitbulls in her Backyard

Police are investigating after a 62-year-old deaf woman was brutally mauled by dogs in her Walnut Park West backyard and later succumbed to her injuries.

According to St. Louis Police, ShotSpotter detected shots fired around 11:40 p.m. in the 5900 block of Theodore Avenue on Wednesday night. While officers were on their way to the scene, they were advised the call was changed to the need for office help.

Woman was Attacked While She was Trying to Protect Her Own Dogs

Officers on scene found the woman, identified as Gladys Anthony, severely injured and her 73-year-old husband surrounded by three pitbulls that were barking at them in their backyard. According to KSDK, the pitbulls attacked while Anthony was trying to protect her own dogs

The family said Anthony came home from work and let her family’s dogs out into their backyard. Her brother, John Jenkins, said she let one dog in the house and when she turned around three dogs were attacking their other dog. He said Anthony is deaf and didn’t hear them coming under the fence.

“It was three pit bulls, vicious pits. They came up under there, attacked her, she was screaming for her husband who went outside to help her, they had started biting on him,” Jenkins said.

Dogs ‘Took a Chunk of Her Arm,’ ‘Ate Up’ Her Legs

“They took a chunk of her arm,” the victim’s daughter, Keshia Anthony said. “Her legs were ate up. There was nothing that could be done to stop those damn dogs from touching her.”

Police say her husband was fending off the dogs with a broom, and previously tried to scare off the dogs by firing off shots. The dogs escaped from a home just up the street through a hole in the owner’s fence, according to SLMPD.

Two police officers pepper sprayed the dogs, while a third officer rushed the woman, who was heavily bleeding, into the home where they applied tourniquets until EMS arrived and transported the woman to an area hospital. Police later informed that the woman had died in surgery.

“This was an absolute tragedy. We want people to feel safe in their neighborhood. They have a right to feel safe in their neighborhood and we’re gonna expect that,” Mitch McCoy with SLMPD said.

Victim’s Husband Also Sustained Several Bites to the Arms and Legs but is Expected to Survive

The victim’s husband sustained several bites to his arms and legs but is expected to be okay. The dogs fled the area but were found by police at a nearby home at 5931 Theodore. Animal Control then took custody of three dogs from the owner, a 54-year-old man.

The investigation is active at this time. The three dogs are being held at Animal Care & Control. The St. Louis City ordinance reads that if a dog aggressively attacks someone and causes severe injury or death, the commissioner of health decides whether or not they are euthanized.

The environmental health bureau chief confirmed that in 2022 there were 2 calls to the house where the dogs came from, but would not confirm it was for the same dogs.