It has been a sad situation within our community after an elderly lady died from injuries she sustained after a dog attack.

The incident occurred Tuesday, February 26 at around 5 p.m.

A 911 call was made for a “dog bite” at 161 Evans Lane in Pall Mall. Sheriff Dana Dowdy reported that Bessie “Jill” Peterson, 88, was the victim. She was airlifted from the scene to Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville where she passed away shortly after arriving.

It has been confirmed by authorities that there were six dogs involved and are believed to belong to a neighbor. However, no official confirmation had been released on the identify of the alleged owner(s). The dogs were euthanized and were examined by a local veterinarian.

Due to the investigation of the circumstances which resulted in her death, there is limited official information being released at this time.

There had been a lot of speculation presented surrounding this horrible incident.

A Nashville news station initially released a report stating a “source” had confirmed it had been a pit bull attack, which sparked a breed debate and created controversy on social media. That information was inaccurate, along with the follow-up story that reported the dogs were all German Shepherds.

While the dog breed shouldn’t be the focus of the story, Sheriff Dowdy stated that the veterinarian report determined each of the dogs as being mixed breed (mutt). While one could have had some type of shepherd mix, none of them had pit bull features.

It was also reported that authorities had been contacted numerous times regarding the dogs. A records request was made to review the Pickett County Sheriff call logs pertaining to any calls at Evans Lane regarding dogs.

Records show that there were a total of five calls regarding dogs that began on July 7, 2016 and the last being on May 8, 2018.

Those calls were made by different individuals for complaints of unidentified dogs barking and approaching people. There was not a reported call noted that any dogs had attacked or bitten an individual.

Under Tennessee Animal Law, if a dog running at large causes the death of another: It is a Class D felony if dog owner exercises reasonable care in attempting to confine or control the dog. It is a Class C Felony if the owner of the dog knew the dangerous nature of the dog and the dog had bitten one or more people that resulted in serious injury prior to the time of violation.

Pickett County doesn’t have any animal control service to respond and assist law enforcement.

“This is the first time we have had a death in this manner, so we want to make sure we investigate this thoroughly,” said Sheriff Dowdy, who has requested assistance from the 13th Judicial District Attorney’s Office to aid in the investigation.

“The loss of Mrs. Peterson’s life is heartbreaking. We are looking very closely into the circumstances of this incident to determine if there is any criminal responsibility,” said District Attorney General Bryant Dunaway.