Police on Nov. 1 found 41-year-old Brandy Joy O'Dell deceased in her residence in the 3200 block of Westshore Drive in the Westshore Estates Mobile Home Park. In the home with her were two pit bull-type dogs and a Chihuahua, said Bay City Public Safety Capt. Caleb Rowell.
O'Dell's live-in boyfriend had called 911 after coming home and finding her, Rowell said. O'Dell had been alone with the dogs for less than a day, the captain added.
"The boyfriend had put them in crates before police arrived," Rowell said. "They were fairly well-contained, then (Bay County) Animal Control removed them without much difficulty."
Police initially believed O'Dell died of natural causes and that the dog bites were inflicted postmortem. A pathologist conducted an autopsy on O'Dell's remains on Nov. 4 and concluded she had died "from several bites made by one or more dogs that were pets."
Police are currently looking into the dogs' histories.
"We're still trying to gather some information," Rowell said. "We're trying to find out if there is any history of the dogs biting or attacking anybody else to see if (the owners) should have known the dogs were vicious and if anything could have been done to prevent it. We're interviewing family, neighbors, and friends to see if they know anything about the dogs, if they bit any people in the past.
"We don't even know for sure both dogs did it," the captain continued. "We're still trying to figure that out."
The two pit bulls remain in quarantine at Animal Control. Their future is in limbo pending the results of the ongoing investigation.
The Chihuahua was briefly seized but was subsequently released, according to Craig Goulet, supervisor of Bay County Animal Services and Adoption Center.
Dogbites.org, a nonprofit based in Austin, Texas, released a study in 2018 regarding fatal dog attacks on humans in the U.S. The study reports that from 2005 through 2017, dogs killed at least 433 Americans, with pit bulls having caused 284, or 65.6 percent.
Funeral arrangements for O'Dell have not been announced.
Comment: On the same day another woman was killed by her own dogs in Clearcreek Township, Ohio.