Woman mauled to death by her own French bulldog, police report

A 52-year-old woman from Ingleside, Illinois has been mauled to death by one of her French bulldogs, local police have confirmed.

Lake County Coroner Dr. Howard Cooper told People that Lisa Urso died after she was extensively bitten and scratched by the animal, which had previously been removed from her home after biting her boyfriend.

Cooper discusses details of the case in the video below: 

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Dr. Cooper revealed that Urso managed to make it out into her front porch while bleeding heavily, and it was there that she was later found by friends.

"There was a struggle," Dr. Cooper said. "She was being attacked; there's no question."

The 120lbs woman was discovered with the majority of her clothing shredded off and "a very large percentage of her body" was covered in injuries caused by the animal.

Urso owned three dogs - a border collie-mix and two French bulldogs. Both of the bulldogs were found with blood on them, and it's not known if they attacked her together or if it was the result of the bulldog that had a history of aggression.

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"We know one is an aggressive dog who had bitten someone before," Cooper said.

The larger of the two dogs, Blue, weighs around 55 pounds, and Cooper and county Animal Care and Control Department Program Manager Robin Van Sickle said that it has been reported that he was bred to be a fighting dog, or had been rescued from a dogfighting ring.

The dog's history remains under investigation, People reports.

Van Sickle said that concerns were first raised about the adopted dog on April 13 when Blue seriously injured Urso's boyfriend, causing him to need stitches on his shoulder and upper arm, and again on April 21 when he was bitten on the foot and leg.

Blue was then taken into a 10-day quarantine, where "he did not give us cause for any concern," Van Sickle said, according to People. "He did not show any aggressive behaviors toward us."

Urso asked for Blue back on April 30.

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"She loved that animal," Cooper said. "If she ever thought it would have attacked her, I'm sure she wouldn't have wanted it back. Clearly she believed she was fine with him."

According to the Chicago Tribune, Lake Police Chief Jimmy Lee described the case as a "fatal mistake", adding: "The lady wanted her dog back and it attacked her viciously and killed her."

Sickle also added that the dog appeared to be well cared for: "It was evident to us this was a very loving home, a very pet-friendly home."

Authorities remain unsure as to why the attack initially occurred.