Woman killed by two pit bulls in Florida attack

A woman was fatally mauled by two pit bulls early Tuesday morning in a residential area near Cocoa, Florida, as her partner of roughly three decades tried to fight off the animals with a knife. Jodi Cowan, 50, died after being airlifted to a hospital, according to the Brevard County Sheriff's Office Animal Services unit. The dogs, which neighbors say had a history of aggression, have been seized by animal control while an investigation continues. No charges have been filed against their owner, who has not been publicly identified.

Donnell Smith, Cowan’s longtime partner, said he returned home around 1 a.m. on May 19 and realized Cowan and their small dog were missing. He said he heard a faint cry for help and then saw the silhouettes of two large dogs dragging someone down the road. Smith found Cowan lying in a pool of blood with bite wounds across her body. When the dogs returned and tried to drag her again, he pulled a knife to fend them off while pressing on her wounds. He called 911, and Cowan was airlifted to a hospital but died from her injuries.

“It was brutal,” Smith told local broadcaster WESH. “Seeing the same woman I’ve loved for the last 25 to 30 years just ripped...