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CHICAGO -- A far west suburban firefighter and paramedic who was found dead in her home died as a result of an attack by one of her own dogs, the Kane County sheriff’s office said Wednesday.
Dawn Brown, 44, of the 400 block of Jefferson Street in Big Rock, was found dead by her husband at the bottom of the stairs in her home Monday afternoon. The paramedics who responded were her co-workers.
"It's just heartbreaking," said neighbor Mark Hake. "We would see them walking their dogs through town. [They were] very nice people."
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Brown and her husband had three dogs: a mastiff, boxer and pit bull mix breed. It was the 140-pound mastiff who attacked her, officials said.
It's not known what provoked the animal to attack, but Kane County Animal Control now has all three dogs in their custody. The mastiff was new to the home and was given to the couple by a family member about a week ago.
Brown was a full-time firefighter/paramedic for the Bristol Kendal Fire Protection District and a part-time paramedic for the Big Rock Fire Protection District. Her colleagues at Big Rock were too distraught to speak publicly about Brown on Wednesday. Bunting hung around her photo at Station One, at 103 Beaver St. in Yorkville.
A memorial service has been scheduled for Saturday at 11 a.m. in Big Rock.
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She only had the dog for a week? Well, there you go, nothing had to provoke the dog, it probably just didn't like her.
Wow, I thought Mastiffs were gentle breeds too. While it's great to adopt an older dog there is also a danger because you don't know the history of that animal and how they were treated/mistreated to make them react in a certain way. There was an elderly woman who was attacked and killed by a Doberman she and her son adopted from an animal shelter. That must have been a nightmare for that poor woman. And I personally know of a case where a woman adopted a dog from a shelter and as she was bending down to put the bowl of dog food on the floor to feed the dog, the dog jumped up and bite her nose off. That's right, completely off. She's had to go through several painful corrective surgeries and despite that breathing through her mangled nose has never been the same. A word of warning to all - never put your face close to a dog you don't know. You don't know what may happen. And if you have any fear of a dog, stay away, because that dog can sense your fear and might react out of self-preservation.
Mastiffs are a very gentle breed, especially with family members, however they can be very aggressive with people they do not know, and are very territorial and protective over their family and home. My three are big babies, as long as they are introduced properly. It took a couple of months after I introduced my last male pup into the mix. I kept the two males on leash at all times during bonding, feeding, etc. until I knew for a fact that they were not a threat and finally bonded.
My educated guess--having worked alot with dogs of many breeds is her other dogs and the new dog were probably still working out their pecking order and she probably walked into a scuffle of some sort and tried to break it up. A friend of mine just recently was injured by two of his dogs fighting when he tried to break up the fight.
Don't blame the breed exclusively either-I have worked with tiny dogs who were extremely dangerous. If anything we can all blame humans for not doing our part to train these dogs in the first place. Training puts you as the alpha dog in your pack from the start. When my dogs start in on each other all I (or my kids for that metter) have to do is raise our voices. Our dogs will stop their non-sence and look at us--stop the fight and go their seperate ways (or to their own corners to sulk).
You teach your kids--why not your pets?
Thats exactly what i was thinking. The mastiff was probably asserting himself to the other dogs(which is sometimes done physicaly) and she probably either walked into it by mistake or tried to seperate them, which is the worst thing you can do.
Please note dogs mentality is different from humans they are not children animals to be percise!!!!!!!!!
It wasn't really her mastiff if a family member just dumped it on her a week ago. But probably all week they had been dealing with pecking order dog behaviors from it. From a chihuahua who cares but a dog like that they should have taken the aggression displays seriously.
Maybe the dog was feeling amorous and didn't get his way.
some of you no offense, really dont get dogs. Some of you no offense, are really judgmental. I feel bad for those of you that quiver at the side of a large, strong dog. They are man's best friend. They have made life easier for us throughout history, and are still doing so today. Every dog has a purpose. some are designed to help us cath the bad guys, others to herd cattle, and others to provide a fluffy couch potato.
No dog is born bad. Just as much so as no child is born bad. Thye need the right enviornment to succeed, but sadly not too many realiaze it is the same with dogs. Exercise is key. setting boundaries in regards to what they can and cannot do is also critical. Now a days all people know how to give is love, not even tough love, just unconditional love towards their pets. People see their dogs as people, which they just 100% are not. We created them, it is our job to take care of them emotionally. when we lock our dogs up in the house and think they dont need to be walked. "playing in the fenced in backyard is the same thing." NO it isnt. by restricting them we are creating a beast that is mentally unstable and at times will lash out because of all of it's anxiety. the first step in fixing this dog attack problem is not by killing the beast that we created, but by instead doing right by it. We must find responsible dog owners who are ready to seek out the needs of the animal, not their own. They say owning a pet is a responsibility. it is. We are responsible for their way of life, mindset, as well as actions.
Someone above suggested that Golden Retrievers never did anything wrong. i believe they were ranked 2nd in dog attacks. Pit bulls were 11th if i recall correctly. Dont blame the breed, blame the hand that raised it.
My sympathy for that family. These type of dogs at best should be raised together as pups and treated equally! They bond much easier and learn each others scent in the process. Whenever a new dog is brought into a home where other dogs present, it's a dangerous risk. Also, they can be VERY jealous of a newborn child in the home.
One woman dies due to botched medical care and failure to abort a pregnancy in time to save her and the world is up in arms, another woman dies due to a dog attack and there is no cry to change laws and seriously restrict dog ownership. Dogs attack every day. Dogs attack children every day.
People attack every day, far more than dogs. People attack children every day yet those laws dont change either.
Humans can say the dumbest things, geez. I understand why some get so frustrated here after reading some of the comments. Talk about jumping to conclusions, I think "Maureen" was the best, already blaming the husband, and he was the poor guy that found his dead wife, geez, just sayin.. Prayers to the family and friends of this lady.
My condolences to the family and their loss. I know all who handle/work with dogs know that even though this should have never happened, likely part of the problem was the introduction of a new dog into the home and how that was done. Even with such a horrific event as the topic of this discussion, I still like dogs better than most people after reading some of the comments made.
So very sad. I know there are good dogs & 'bad' dogs but, personally, I'm not sure anyone needs a dog that #1 outweighs them or #2 that they can't physically control if they decide to attack.
As far as anyone blaming the husband, where do you get your info? Were you there? The dog was only given to them a week prior. Did you ever think there was a reason the dog was given away? Leave it to the professionals to figure out the facts.
WTF! I want to know why all the dogs were taken??????????????? How does anyone know the dog attacked...was anyone else home? NO, not by what was written. SOB!!!! Sorry she died, yes....but now all 3 dogs are in trouble ...why, because of the breed. Sick of it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Don't resort to stupid assumptions like Maureen. Maureen looks stupid we can all see that.
What a tragedy for all involved. And the family member who gave it to her - I just don't know how one gets over that. It would be interesting to know if that animal had any behavioral problems previously to this incident. In the end, animals are still animals and, on occasion, can be dangerous. I'm pretty sure she was confident she could handle that dog. Unfortunately, in this case a horrible accident occurred. Condolences to the family for sure.
Sad story, my condolences. But I will never understand why anyone would want to own a pet that can kick their ass.
That's why I own a cat....
I have a 145 lb great dane that I adopted from a rescue center when it was an adult. It protects me and wouldn't harm anything/anyone, not even another dog. His size actually makes him have a sweeter and calmer disposition than small breeds. My point is, the size of the dog doesn't necessarily make it vicious or capable of killing. Dogs can have dispositions that stray from what is common to their breed and a mastiff that is ordinarily a smart, affectionate breed is the perfect example. This is an isolated incident not something that is common to all mastiff's.
As a mastiff owner I can say they are very strong willed. We brought a female in with three other dogs and established at once her position in the pecking order. She didn't like it at first but soon understood her place. They are extremely intelligent, and she has been a wonderful addition to our family. Would not recommend to inexperienced owner. By the way our 20#bichon female is alpha and their no exception to that period.
I bet the family member who gave her the dog feels awful. Sad story in so many ways.
If the dog weighs more than you and you cant physically get your point across to it (Discipline), then you dont need it. Large dogs take a little more aggressive action to establish that your the ALPHA (Boss). You cant treat them like children, give them choices, or let them do what they want. Im a proud owner of a beautiful red-nose pit, that obeys my every command, b/c he knows theres consequences for not obeying. These aggressive/large breeds require alot of work and attention to be properly raised to be good companions. It CAN be done, but only if you put in the time & effort.
J
I own a pit/sharpei mix he is well trained and listens to me. all i have to do is say one word and he stops immediately and walks away from whatever he is doing. I also own a silky/chi and a 9 month old kitten. And my pit mix dont do anything to hurt either of the animals or my teenage sons he also listens to them too. He is very loving and would lick you to death. yes beings he is a bully breed he "tries" to push his weight around but i stop him before anything starts.
Oh and also my pit mix i rescued when he was about a year old from the pound ive had him for about 4 yrs now.
You don't hear many stories about dogs killing their owners. I've had friends that have had Mastiffs and they were all very good, relaxed, loyal dogs. Who knows what happend to provoke the dog to do that?
Dogs have to be dominated,if you dont do this ,you are dealing with a time-bomb.anyone read Call of The Wild or White Fang,Jack London talks about this often,however not politically correct these days,if a dog raises up and bows up at you,if you want to be his master,beat him loudly until he submits,you are the Master then .
Huh????
Animal abuse is not just politically incorrect, it's an ineffective way to train dogs. Teach by positive reinforcement. Not that you seem bright enough to understand that term.
Sean, get a clue.
you dont have to "beat them loudly" to show them you are the boss. But i did have to tackle my pit mix to the ground to show him i was in control. Wasnt very easy either lol. He is 60 lbs of muscle but i got the point across to him lol
I have raised several Mastiffs over the past 15 years, and they are one of the most loyal and loving breeds out there, however you must be the alpha at all times, as they can be a dominant breed (as other breeds can be). This article is deceiving, as it states that the dog was "her own pet", sorry, but any animal (large or small) should not be considered "your own pet" after only a week in the household, especially with other adult animals on the premises. I always took great heed in introducing, training, etc. which takes time, sometimes weeks or months, to be sure how the new comer will mix with existing animals, familiy members, etc. Mastiffs are generally a big baby, prefer to be with their family, but are leary of strangers (which is what this entire household was to the dog). Don't blame the animal, people should be aware of the breed they adopt (puppy or adult) and be sure they are up to taking on such a responsibility. This is such a sad story, for the woman, as well as the animal.
There are some real morons out there. Just read some of these posts and you'll see why i care moer about animals than humans. Humans in general are far more savage.