Photo: Getty
They turned on her.
By Amy Lamare — Written on Sep 13, 2019
A woman in New York met her end in a most gruesome way. Arlene Renna, 67, was found unconscious on the floor of her Pleasant Valley living room by her husband last weekend. Police and EMT's arrived on the scene but they could not revive Renna, who had significant injuries. As it turns out, Renna was attacked by her two dogs. Who is Arlene Renna and why did her dogs maul her to death?
1. Two Coonhounds
Renna's wounder were determined to be "consistent wth a dog attack," according to the police. Renna had two coonhounds. They are members of the hound group typically bred for hunting raccoons. There are six distinct breeds of coonhound. The dogs weigh between 64-75 pounds. This dog is generally mellow and even tempered, according to the American Kennel Club. No one else was home at the time of the attack.
2. It was her daughter's birthday
Renna's ex-husband John Taylor took to Facebook to write about his former wife. He wrote that she was his "high school sweetheart" and said that she had "died suddenly at home" on Saturday, which was their daughter Jillian's 31st birthday. He went on to write: “It is nothing short of a nightmare. Arlene was the kindest, most gentle, giving and wonderful woman, there was no better mother, no better grandmother.”
3. She was a nurse
Renna's ex-husband said that she had been a nurse and a social worker who helped families in crisis as well as a volunteer for the non-profit parenting education service The Center for Parents and Children.
4. Her family
Renna had three kids and one grandchild with John Taylor before they divorced. They were married for 21 years. Taylor said, “Everything she did she did for others. People like Arlene can never be replaced, they can only live in our hearts forever, and we should all learn by their example to be better people, to try to be more like them.”
5. Why did the dogs attack?
A spokesperson for the New York State Police told Newsweek that the dogs were a Redbone Coonhound and a Black and Tan Coonhound. The American Kennel Club describes the Redbone Coonhound as "even-tempered, mellow and kindly at home but a tiger on the trail." The Black and Tan Coonhound is described as "snoozy by the fireside but tenacious when on the trail of the wily raccoon." The ACK also said these dogs "can be trained, but it's best to expect compliance rather than blind obedience."
6. What will happen to the dogs?
The dogs were taken by the Dutchess County SPCA and secured at a shelter. A judge will determine their fate, but the fact is when a dog mauls a person, the dog is usually put down.
Amy Lamare is a Los Angeles based writer and editor covering entertainment, pop culture, beauty, fashion, fitness, technology, and the intersection of technology, business, and philanthropy. You can find her on Instagram and Facebook.