Posted on 01/15/2004 11:03:28 AM PST by Holly_P
The woman whose dogs mauled an Elbert County woman to death said she never expected the animals to hurt anyone.
"I'm sorry," Jacqueline McCuen said Tuesday, nearly six weeks after three of her dogs killed Jennifer Brooke. "I can't say 'I'm sorry' enough. I want to know why this happened. I can't imagine what (Brooke's family) has been through.
"I don't blame it on the breed. I don't blame it on their upbringing. I was a good owner."
Brooke, 40, was attacked Nov. 30 while she fed her horses. The dogs also attacked Bjorn Osmunsen, 24, and Clifford "Lynn" Baker, 42, that day in the rural area east of Parker. All three dogs were later shot to death.
McCuen's dogs also were linked to an attack in April, when neighbor Diana Nichols encountered two dogs and was bitten by one of them while on a walk near McCuen's former home.
McCuen said she has lost her home because her bank account was garnisheed to pay penalties from a civil case Nichols brought and won. She is facing a misdemeanor charge arising from that incident.
Baker - hours after surviving the attack - said it appeared the dogs were "just looking for people."
But McCuen said she remains convinced that her dogs were not violent creatures. She said her five children played with all of her dogs with no problems. To accentuate the point, she answered questions while holding her 2-year-old daughter, Laura, in one hand and a young pit bull named Jade in the other.
"They are so lovable," McCuen said. "I don't believe they would attack somebody out of the blue."
Instead, McCuen points to Nichols' statement about the April attack. Nichols, according to McCuen, hit one dog in the nose and the other in the head before one of them bit her.
McCuen's attorney, Michael Andre, said they are waiting to see the sheriff's report before making assumptions about what led to the fatal attack.
McCuen said she always kept the dogs in a fenced area. The attacks, she said, were accidents that happened after the dogs got out.
In the Nichols attack, McCuen said, a visiting family member forgot to shut the gate. She said the fatal attack came after the dogs apparently ripped off a makeshift patch in the fence.
Officials with the Sheriff's Office have said they will recommend the district attorney bring two felony charges against McCuen and her husband, William Gladney.
A spokeswoman for the office said investigators could hand their case to the district attorney sometime this week.
But the case against McCuen could be difficult. Under Colorado law, to convict someone on the charges McCuen could face, prosecutors would have to prove that the dogs involved in the fatal attack had been involved in a previous violent incident.
Well lady, which is it?
By a process of elimination, she seems to imply that the victims might be responsible somehow.
And the victim, apparently having been ripped to pieces, is unable to tell us what she did to provoke the dogs.
From here:
Jennifer Brooke, 40, was attacked and killed by a neighbor's pit bull dogs, early Sunday, November 28, 2003 when she went to a barn to care for her horses. According to the Elbert County undersherriff, James Underwood, the woman was mauled beyond recognition.
I think it's mighty inconsiderate of Ms. Brooke to die that way, without explaining herself.
Why did she own them, if not for protection of her home and person?
Stupid pet owners irritate me. I dont care what kind of dog you have, ANY dog WILL bite under the 'right' circumstances and anyone who believes different should not be allowed to own them.
When I take my Lab out I regularly have people walk up to me, ask if they can pet him and if he bites. I love to see the looks when I tell them he hasnt bitten anyone but I cant promise he never will.
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