A Daytona woman was mauled to death by her four pet dogs in her own home.
Just after 7pm on October 10, the victim's boyfriend alerted authorities after finding his girlfriend unresponsive and suffering from severe injuries.
Police and emergency services rushed to Monica Emerson's home in Daytona Beach, Florida but were unable to revive her.
Attending officers observed four dogs running around the home freely. The dogs included an adult male mixed breed who was the father of the other three adult offspring.
The victim's boyfriend, who has not been named by police, said he had gone to Emerson's home to check on the 38-year-old because he had not been able to reach her by phone. When he went inside and saw the horrific aftermath of the attack he immediately contacted emergency services.
In a statement, Daytona Beach Police confirmed that Emerson's injuries were consistent with an animal attack, and that none of her injuries appeared to be caused by foul play.
A preliminary investigation had found that Ms Emerson may have experienced a medical issue before the attack. "Emerson may have experienced a medical episode that caused her to lose consciousness, during which time she was fatally attacked by the dogs," police said.
All four dogs were taken into custody by the animal control service affiliated with the police department. "The animals were transferred to Volusia County Animal Control Services, where they will be held for 10 days prior to being euthanised," police said.
"Next of kin has been notified. No evidence of human-related foul play has been found, and the investigation remains active."
