Death of Sandra L. Piovesan

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name = Sandra L. Piovesan


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birth_date = 1956
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death_date = July 17, 2006
death_place =Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
death_cause = Killed by wolf-dog hybridsThe Death of Sandra L. Piovesan was a fatal domestic animal attack involving nine wolf-dog hybrids which turned on their owner, 50 year old Sandra Piovesan on July 17th 2006 in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.

Prior events

Piovesan apparently began keeping hybrid wolves 10 years prior to her death. She kept the hybrids in a caged rectangular enclosure in her backyard. She was not a member of the United States American Wolfdog Association; John Davis, the organisation's Vice President admitted that he had never heard of her. Piovesan did not have the license from the Pennsylvania Game Commission needed to own wolf-hybrids, though she circumvented this by aquiring state dog licenses for the animals. The wolf-dogs were provided with toys, such as a replica igloo, balls and a plastic playhouse. She kept at least one of the animals, which she named Spirit, in the house. The hybrids were occasionally fed with roadkill, the smell of which often incited neighbours to launch complaints. [http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06200/706840-59.stm Wolf dogs killed owner, autopsy determines Wecht finds that woman was mauled] ] Brian Gallagher, a longtime friend of hers, stated that she kept the wolves as part of her Native American heritage. According to rumour, she had been selling or placing puppies without calling them wolves, and that she failed to vaccinate them for rabies. A year prior to her death, the hybrids began exhibiting signs of intense stress, and killed one of the older pack members.

Death and discovery

Crystal Piovesan, Sandra's daughter, discovered her mother's body when she went to her house after Piovesan failed to meet up for breakfast. Testimony from State police Trooper Brian Gross indicates that the animals were excited by the presence of the officers, and acted as a pack, walking side by side along their enclosure's fence. Officers tranquilized the animals before troopers shot and killed them. [http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribunereview/news/westmoreland/s_462296.html Westmoreland woman found dead in wolf pen] ] An autopsy performed by Dr. Cyril H. Wecht, found that Piovesan died from multiple soft tissue injuries.

Connie Griswold, her supervisor at the Latrobe Regional Health and Rehabilitation Center, stated that she did not know Piovesan owned wolf-dogs until her death. Elaine Gower, an officer of Action for Animals Humane Society stated "Everybody told her this would happen, but she just wouldn't listen,... She was a very likable person, but she was just delusional about their danger, and totally misguided." Brian Gallagher theorized that the attack was triggered by an animal wishing to usurp Piovesan as "leader" of the pack. Piovesan's daughter was adamant that her mother knew what she was doing: "If she didn't know what she was doing, she would have been dead the first day she had them." [http://kdka.com/pets/wolves.mauling.Salem.2.383985.html Daughter Of Wolf-Dog Mauling Victim Speaks Out] ]

ee also

*Disappearance of Dominik Takács
*Diane Whipple
*Wolf attacks on humans
*Dog attack
*Patricia Wyman wolf attack

References