Dogs Maul, Kill Owner

KFDM News has learned deputies are investigating the death of a woman they say was killed by her two pit bulldogs while she was sleeping in her home in Southwest Louisiana.

Beauregard Parish deputies tell KFDM News the woman's husband discovered her body in the couple's bed when he returned home from work.

It happened Sunday in Longville, Louisiana, south of DeRidder.

Deputies shot and killed the dogs and relatives of the woman believe they know why the dogs mauled her.

Relatives told KFDM News 24 year old Kelli Chapman had suffered from seizures, and they believe she may have had a seizure while she was sleeping Sunday and the dogs reacted to it, either trying to wake her up or attacking her when they became startled.

Her husband, Jason, told deputies he left the couple's home in Longville between 10:00 and 10:30 a.m. to go to work.

When he returned home at about 6:30 p.m., he found Kelli's body in her bed. She had been mauled by the couple's two pit bulldogs, a 4 year old male and a one year old female.

Jason said the couple let the dogs stay in their home and sometimes sleep in their bed. He said the dogs never hurt the couple or anyone else.

Jason put the dogs in the bathroom, and when deputies got to the home they shot and killed the pit bull dogs.

The bodies of the two dogs were taken to a veterinary hospital in DeRidder to be checked.

Kelli had wounds from her head to her feet and investigators say they've never seen anything like it.

"I've been here 31 years and my memory I don't recall us having a death caused by a dog attack,” Beauregard Parish Chief Deputy Robert McCullough told KFDM News.

"There's a certain small percentage of aggressiveness in any breed, whether it's a Chihuahua, a Rottweiler or a Pit Bull," said veterinarian Dr. Ted Hoerner.

"The difference is the degree of damage that a certain animal can inflict. Pit bulls are huge, they're strong, their musculature is such they can inflict deadly damage. Unfortunately, that's what we've seen happen."

The sheriff's office is trying to determine if there was anything that may have provoked the dogs. The veterinarian is also checking for any sign of rabies in the dogs.