Dog owners arrested after pet was involved in fatal attack of SC woman, police say

Noah Feit
·2 min read
9

Days after a South Carolina woman was attacked by a dog and died, the pet was euthanized, according to the Florence Police Department.

On Wednesday, a week following the death of 71-year-old Karen Nelson, the dog’s owners were arrested and charged with owning a dangerous animal (which attacks and injures a human), police said in a news release.

Florence residents Justin Conroy, 40, and Ashley Maclean, 30, were taken into custody and held at the Florence County Detention Center, where they awaited a bond hearing, officials said.

On July 10, Nelson was riding a bicycle in the Brigadoone Lane area, police previously reported. Conroy and Maclean’s dog broke free from its leash and collar device and attacked Nelson, arrest warrants show. The dog punctured her neck, which resulted in Nelson’s death, according to the arrest warrants.

The attack happened about a quarter of a mile from Conroy and Maclean’s home, according to jail records.

Emergency responders, including members of the fire department, went to the scene after a receiving a report about an injured bicyclist, police said.

Members of the fire department found the victim, who suffered severe, traumatic injuries from a dog bite, according to police. Nelson was taken to an area hospital where she was pronounced dead, police said.

No other injuries were reported.

Police said animal control took possession of the dog. On July 12, Conroy and Maclean signed a voluntary surrender form agreeing that the animal would be euthanized, and it was put to sleep the following day, according to police.

According to the arrest warrants, Conroy and Maclean either knew, or should have known that their dog “has a propensity, tendency or disposition to attack unprovoked, cause injury, or otherwise endangers the safety of human beings or domestic animals.”

If convicted on the charge, both Conroy and Maclean each face a maximum punishment of three years in prison and a $5,000 fine, according to South Carolina law.