A 50-year-old Greek woman lost her life when three shepherd dogs belonging to a neighbor escaped and attacked her in her garden.
The incident reportedly happened on Sunday at around 2 p.m. in the village of Neochorouda, located about 16 kilometers (10 miles) northwest of Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city.
According to the local police, the dogs managed to escape through a hole in their owners’ fence, covering a distance of about 80 meters (260 feet) to reach the woman who was working in her garden.
A man, who police said was deaf-mute, was helping the woman with the gardening but was far from her at the moment of the attack and could not hear her screams.
Despite the immediate efforts of neighbors who rushed to the scene to rescue the woman and pry the dogs away from her, she suffered severe injuries and was bleeding profusely.
First responders, arriving shortly after with an ambulance, sadly confirmed her death.
The 37-year-old owner of the dogs was subsequently arrested and is set to face legal proceedings on Monday morning.
The police also reported that the dogs are being held in a kennel and will be put down.
