In a grim reminder of the responsibilities dog owners carry, two Rockdale residents have been arrested on second-degree felony charges after their dogs fatally mauled an 88-year-old woman, as CBS Austin reports. Joel Rubio, 61, and Terri Ann Frank, 65, were taken into custody Monday concerning the December 18 incident, which occurred just outside Rockdale city limits on Beverly Drive; they are each currently held on a $20,000 bond.
After deputies arrived on scene at approximately 1:11 p.m. to find Delores Woolverton deceased, an autopsy confirmed that she died from injuries inflicted in the attack and seven dogs were removed from the residence, later to be euthanized, amidst findings that at least one of the dogs had a past indiscretion having previously attacked an AMR employee without provocation, affirmed by CBS Austin.
The case taps into the broader discourse surrounding pet ownership and public safety, as delineated by the Milam County Sheriff's Office to KBTX: "We responded that day back in December, in reference to a report that someone had called in a woman who was being attacked by dogs. We arrived and she was already dead and began to investigate from there," shared Brett Eberhart with MCSO.
