Five dogs who killed woman in 2016 have been euthanized

The five dogs who brutally attacked and killed a woman in 2016 have been euthanized, according to the Austin Animal Center. A Travis County jury decided the fate of the dogs in November 2017.

Process server Erin McCleskey attempted to serve a citation to a homeowner in Northeast Travis County in June of 2016, but, before she left the property, she was mauled to death by a group of dogs on the property. 

The dogs were taken after McCleskey's body was found in the yard.

One week later, Justice of the Peace Herb Evans ordered the dogs to be put down. 
                
Attorney Eric Torberson, who is representing the dog's owner, appealed that decision. Torberson told the jury that putting down all six dogs is wrong because it is unclear which dogs actually participated in the attack. He also argued one of the dogs recently had puppies and was likely being protective of her young, spurring a violent response. 

That dog interestingly enough died a few months ago.

To address the single dog theory, prosecutors brought in James Crosby, an expert in dog attacks.

“I find the maternal instinct to have been very unlikely because the puppies are older they were in the round pen.  There’s no evidence that Ms. McCleskey was in the puppy pen or interacting with the puppies at all,” said Crosby 

Travis County deputy medical examiner Kendall Crowns testified that he found 455 puncture wounds on Mccleskey's body, he told the jury that typically an attack by one dog will leave about 150 marks.

Crowns concluded that its highly unlikely Mccleskey was chased down and mauled by only one dog.

During the hearing, officers with the Travis County Sheriff’s Office testified that while processing the scene, they noticed aggressive behavior in at least three of the dogs. An animal control officer said the canines had very little human interaction and it is likely they all played at least a minor role in the attack against McCleskey.