A 74-year-old North Carolina woman was fatally attacked by multiple dogs last week, according to police.
Diane Emily Pellington of Murphy, N.C., was found dead on Feb. 25 after he family requested a welfare check at her residence on Cross Creek Lane in the Hiwassee Dam community, the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) said.
The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation was brought in to assist the CCSO in the investigation after authorities established that Pellington's death was not due to natural causes.
An autopsy was conducted on Feb. 27 at Atrium Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem and confirmed that her death was the result of a "dog attack."
The CCSO then located three dogs living in a nearby residence suspected of being involved in the attack. The dogs were then "held in quarantine" as authorities continued the investigation. Police have not identified the owner of the dogs.
"Cherokee County Sheriff's Office sends our condolences to Ms. Pellington's family and will hold her loved ones close in our thoughts and prayers," the CCSO said in a statement. "We also ask that everyone respect their privacy as they navigate this difficult time."
"Diane had worked as a veterinarian assistant," an obituary shared by Towson-Rose Funeral Home reads. "She loved anything concerning research and being outdoors. Diane was well organized very spiritual. She loved spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Diane was a very loving grandmother, and everything was always about her grandbabies."
Pellington is survived by several children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, according to the obituary. A "private graveside" was held on Monday, March 2.
