A Georgia woman was found dead after her children were injured in a dog attack, according to authorities and local news media.
Courtney Williams, 35, was found May 9 after officers were called about multiple children being attacked by a dog in Quitman, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a May 10 news release. The agency is investigating at the request of the Brooks County Sheriff’s Office.
Williams is the mother of the two children who were attacked, according to WALB and WDRW.
Around 4:45 p.m., officers arrived and found “several aggressive dogs on the property,” according to the GBI. It is not clear who owns the animals.
Someone had already taken the injured children to a hospital, authorities said. Officers found Williams’ body in the garden of the house.
An autopsy is planned to determine the cause and manner of death, investigators said.
The GBI has not released any further details but said the investigation is ongoing.
Quitman is located approximately 50 miles northeast of Tallahassee, Florida, near the Georgia-Florida line.
What you need to know about dog attacks
Dogs bite more than 4.5 million people in the U.S. each year, and nearly 800,000 of those people require medical attention, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Any dog can bite when it is scared, nervous, or when it wants to be alone. You should never approach a dog that appears angry or scared, according to the CDC.
If an unknown dog approaches you, officials say to:
-
Keep calm and be quiet.
-
Avoid eye contact with the dog.
-
Don’t panic or make loud noises. Do not run.
-
Say “no” or “go home” in a deep voice. Stand with the side of your body toward the dog.
-
Slowly raise your hands to your neck and slowly step back.
Dog bites man in face while trying to sexually assault owner in park, Colorado police say
Retired police dog was abandoned by handler at animal shelter, Georgia sheriff says
Enraged bull drags man to creek bed, stomps and mauls him to death, SC officials say
