MONTE ALTO, Texas (Valley Central) — A woman killed by her dog in her Monte Alto home has been identified as 85-year-old Jeronima Flores.
Authorities say the dog that attacked her was a black pit bull crossbreed and one of many dogs on her property.
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The dogs attacked her when she went outside to feed her cat, and Sergeant Enrique Longoria of the Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office said he believes the attack was prompted by the dogs becoming territorial over the food.
“We believe that during the feeding period, the dog that attacked Flores, as well as other dogs, became territorial and our investigation leads us to believe that this is why Flores was attacked by his own dog,” Longoria said.
Valley Central spoke with local dog trainers who've been in the job for 29 years. Cynthia Kendrick of Dog Obedience in Edinburg said she doesn't typically see dogs become aggressive toward their owners unless food is involved.
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“When food is involved, if you haven't taught your dog how to be respectful towards other dogs' food and towards other people — yourself — he may just chase your hand when you reach out to take his bowl,” Kendrick says.
Kendrick says one of the best ways to avoid food aggression is to train your dog around food when they're a puppy. She recommends owners put their hands near their dog's food and move it around or play with it.
“Once you get a puppy, make sure you're involved with the food – putting your hand in the puppy's bowl, taking the food away, giving it to the puppy, hand-feeding it,” Kendrick says. “The puppy will know he's the boss and that he's in charge of his food.”
Longoria said the autopsy established that the dog had been the attacker. Flores suffered wounds around the neck and on the top of the head. Flores' brother responded to the scene and shot the dog. Flores was taken to a hospital where he later died.
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Animal control officers removed 25 other dogs from her property, many of which appeared to be between one and two weeks old, authorities said.
The investigation revealed that Flores frequently took in and cared for stray dogs from the neighborhood.
If you see a stray dog in your neighborhood or on your property, please contact your local animal control so the dog can be properly rescued.
