Maryland woman mauled to death by pit bull she adopted 2 weeks before, officials say

COLUMBIA, Md. - A woman was mauled to death by a pit bull in Maryland just two weeks after she adopted the dog, according to officials.

Howard County police said they were called to a home on Tamar Drive in Columbia at about 7:20 p.m. on Monday.

When officers arrived at the scene, they said 64-year-old Robin Conway was found dead in her backyard. Authorities said Conway was mauled by a pit bull she had just adopted two weeks prior.

"My sister was an animal person. My sister was a caring person. When we went to make service arrangements, the person said, 'wow, she had hundreds, and hundreds, and hundreds of friends,'" Conway's sister Susan LeClair told FOX 5. "Robin gave her time and gave herself to the animals. She was wonderful."

According to police, Conway was discovered by her husband who found the dog standing over her. Conway's husband was able to tie the dog to a fence post.

Authorities said while the dog was tied to the fence post, it barked and lunged at officials and had to be subdued by animal control officers. The dog was later euthanized.

LeClair said her sister had owned pit-bull mixes in the past and said the bad actions of one dog shouldn't determine the outlook on an entire breed.

"They were pit-bull mixes, not pure breed. They were great. I have friends who have been owners of pit-bull mixes and they were great so there was something wrong, obviously, with this particular dog that is not to be taken as something to be held against all pit bulls or pit-bull mixes because there are some lovely ones out there," LeClair said.

Investigators said they did not have any information about the dog's adoption, except that it came from out-of-state.

Detectives said their investigation into Conway's death was ongoing and an autopsy was being performed to determine an exact cause of death. Tests will also be performed on the dog to determine if it had rabies or any other medical issues, according to officials.