On May 17, a quiet Florida neighborhood turned into the scene of a horrifying attack when 50-year-old Jodi Cowan was suddenly mauled by two dogs.
Her partner of 30 years, Donnell Smith, was inside when he heard her screaming in the darkness.
He ran outside — and what he saw was something he says he will never forget.
In the spring of 2026, the quiet neighborhood of Cocoa, Florida, was shaken by a horrific attack that would soon make headlines across the country.
What began as an ordinary walk with a beloved dog ended in unimaginable tragedy for 50-year-old Jodi Cowan.
According to Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey, Jodi was walking her own little dog near her home when two other dogs belonging to her neighbor, Linda Cutler, escaped their yard and suddenly attacked her.
Jodi’s partner, Donnell Smith, said he heard her screams and rushed outside. He rushed toward her, grabbed a knife and desperately tried to fight the animals off while using his other hand to try to stop her bleeding.
Then he called 911.
Died four hours later
The eight-minute call captured the terrifying aftermath as Smith begged for help while the dogs continued snarling and snapping around him.
And in the background, dispatchers could hear Cowan herself.
Her heartbreaking words were later revealed in court records.
“I’m dying. Can’t breathe,” Jodi said.
Smith told the 911 operator that the dogs had “ripped out” Cowan’s throat.
A medical helicopter rushed her to a trauma center, but her injuries were catastrophic. Court records say she had suffered a severed carotid artery and jugular vein. Jodi died roughly four hours later.
The dog’s owner, Linda Cutler, 29, was arrested eight days later and charged with manslaughter.
Investigators also uncovered a history of complaints involving Cutler’s dogs, including reports that they had chased people and shown aggressive behavior in the neighborhood.
The dogs, Max and Mako, had reportedly escaped from their yard on previous occasions and were known to terrorize the community.
Just five weeks before Jodi Cowan was attacked, neighbor John Argila was walking down the street when the same dogs charged at him, according to the affidavit.
He tried using his bicycle as a shield, but the animals managed to bite his arms. A passing driver eventually stopped and helped him escape.
Argila was taken to a hospital for treatment.
“Littermate Syndrome”
According to investigators, Donnell Smith later told authorities that he had helped get the dogs off Argila and that he had warned their owner, Linda Cutler, about the animals’ behavior.
Authorities say Cutler had installed additional fencing but knew the dogs could still get out.
Following the attack, a veterinarian at the sheriff’s Animal Care Center examined Max and Mako and found no evidence that either dog had been abused or neglected, according to the affidavit.
The veterinarian also noted that both dogs displayed signs of what is known as “Littermate Syndrome.” The condition can occur when two puppies are raised together and become overly dependent on each other, preventing them from developing normal independence and social skills.
According to the affidavit, this can leave dogs less confident and more likely to respond with fear or aggression when faced with unfamiliar people, other animals or new surroundings.
During the investigation, Cutler told deputies that she had noticed her dogs becoming increasingly aggressive over the previous few months, according to the report.
She also said she believed someone might have been doing something to the dogs that was affecting their behavior, although she could not explain who might be responsible or what they had allegedly done.
Max and Mako were later set to be euthanized, a sheriff’s office spokesman told Fox News Digital. Linda Cutler has not yet been sentenced, her criminal case is still pending in Brevard County, Florida.
A growing concern
Dog attacks have also become a growing concern across the U.S. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, 468 people died from dog bites or strikes between 2011 and 2021.
Research into pediatric dog-bite cases has also pointed to pit bulls as the most commonly identified breed when the breed was known. In one study of 511 cases, pit bulls were also the breed most often involved in injuries that required surgery.
The researchers noted that several breeds, including pit bulls, mastiffs, German shepherds and Dobermans, have frequently been identified in emergency-room visits related to serious dog attacks.
Fatal dog attacks have continued to fuel debate across the country, with some calling for tighter restrictions or even bans on certain breeds, including pit bulls.
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