Woman mauled by dog is laid to rest

LOWNDES CO., GA (WALB) - A Lowndes County woman mauled to death by a pit bull last week was laid to rest Monday.

40-year old Misti Wyno was attacked by her neighbor's dog Thursday.

We talked to grieving neighbors and people who insist pit bulls are not an inherently dangerous breed.

Lowndes County Deputy Coroner Walter Wacter confirms 40-year old Misti Wyno died from a dog mauling. Wyno's neighbors say she probably couldn't defend herself in that attack.

"From what I understand she was in a car accident and broke her back," said Sharon Carswell. "She was just healing from that and just getting around."

They're in disbelief.

"It could've been me with the dog walking around," said Carswell. "It's very sad."

Thursday Wyno walked to her next door neighbor's home to get some grits and on the way back, their pit bull bit her in the arms, legs, and head. The Valdosta-Lowndes County Humane Society executive director says it's important to socialize pets.

"This animal was tied up and this is what creates hostility to be built up within them," said John Gates. "When they get loose, their whole thing is to take out rage on anything and everything that's around them."

Some pet owners say pit bulls are misunderstood. Rebecca Schilling's pit bull mix named Brady is little over a year old.

"My grandmother loves him," said Schilling. "She thinks he's sweet and stuff and she had a bad feeling about him at first because he was a pit bull."

"If you raise them to be sweet then that's just what they are," said her boyfriend Brendan Dochney.

Misti Wyno's death is a tragedy. Some say pit bulls are just outright vicious and others say there are no bad breeds just bad owners.

We're told the dog owner hasn't been charged.

The dog that attacked Misti Wyno was euthanized along with another dog that bit a neighbor's child on the finger a few months ago.

Here's some dog bite statistics reported to the Lowndes County Animal Shelter:

The stats relate to rabies control bite reports.  There are hundreds of bites each year that are never reported in Lowndes County.  County officials say they hear about bites when people get treatment at South Georgia Medical Center or if they were bitten by a stray or neighbor's dog/cat.

There have been only two deaths over the past 20 years in Lowndes County that officials know about.  Prior to 2000, a male, non-neutered, tied-out Rottweiler bit a two year old girl in the neck once. She died.

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