Jump to content
Clubplanet Nightlife Community

Woman Mauled To Death By Her "Pet" Wolves


HAZE

Recommended Posts

That's gotta be a messed up way to die. In the article, it says they weren't sure whether she died as a result of the injuries or if she died first then they ate her. There was another article afterwards saying the autopsy came back and she died from blood loss due to getting eaten.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribunereview/news/westmoreland/s_462296.html

Humane agents warned a Westmoreland County woman it was only a matter of time before the wolf hybrids she kept as pets turned on her.

Authorities are trying to determine if the pets attacked and killed Sandra L. Piovesan, whose body was found mauled in the fenced pen where the hybrids were housed on her Salem Township property.

Cyril Wecht and Associates is conducting an autopsy to determine if Piovesan, 50, was stricken by a medical problem or was killed by what authorities described as wolf hybrids, also known as wolf dogs.

Piovesan, who lived alone, had raised and bred wolf hybrids for several years, sometimes drawing complaints from neighbors to township and state officials.

"Everybody told her this would happen, but she just wouldn't listen," said Action for Animals Humane Society Officer Elaine Gower. "She was a very likable person, but she was just delusional about their danger, and totally misguided."

Wolves in the wild fear people because humans are their only predators, said James Paulson, outreach coordinator with Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary in New Mexico. But wolf hybrids are more dangerous than wild wolves because they don't fear humans, Gower said.

Piovesan's daughter, Crystal, found her mother's body when she went to the home yesterday morning after Piovesan failed to meet her for breakfast.

State police Trooper Brian Gross said Piovesan's body was mauled "pretty bad" by the hybrids.

Gross said humane officers tranquilized the six animals before troopers shot and killed them.

"When we approached the pen, the wolves were excited, acting in a pack, walking side to side along the (8-foot-high) fence," Gross said.

He said troopers spoke with Piovesan's family before putting down the animals to protect those who retrieved the body.

Family and friends said Piovesan adored her exotic pets and always went into the pen to feed them.

She sometimes kept nearly a dozen wolf hybrids and occasionally invited visitors inside the pen to see them. She built a playground with tunnels and climbing stations for the animals.

Wolf hybrids do not make good pets, experts say.

Gretchen Fieser, spokeswoman with the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society, said the agency does not put up wolf hybrids for adoption because they are aggressive. Wolf hybrids dropped off at the shelter are euthanized.

Lee Neslar, executive director of the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society, said keeping wolf hybrids in packs heightens the danger because each animal is constantly vying for dominance.

"She loved those wolves just like pets. She told me she was part American Indian, and she told me it was part of her ethnic background," said Brian Gallagher, a longtime friend who has a theory about what happened.

"They were all one pack ... including Sandra, who was considered the leader of the pack. I think one of them may have wanted to take over as leader of the pack," Gallagher said.

John Smith, a law enforcement supervisor for the Pennsylvania Game Commission, said the agency had investigated some complaints about the animals but could do nothing about them.

According to the county treasurer's office, Piovesan had licensed the wolf hybrids as mixed-breed dogs.

"When they're licensed as dogs it's not our jurisdiction," Smith said.

Gower said there were indications the animals were wolves, but humane agents were not able to positively identify them.

"We had heard rumors she was selling or placing puppies, and she did call them wolves. But we could never prove it because no one (who bought the animals) ever complained."

She said Piovesan was cited once for failing to have the wolf hybrids vaccinated for rabies.

The animals began to turn on one another last year.

"They had killed one of the older wolves," Gower said. "It was a big enclosure, but they were stressed out and crowded, for wolf hybrids. There wasn't enough room, and they were attacking one another."

Ed Gieselman, a former Salem Township supervisor who owns a business near Piovesan's home, said he never had any problems with the animals, which were well-contained and only howled when emergency sirens sounded. Gieselman said Piovesan fed the hybrids roadkill.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I love puppies. I want 3 yorkies Lola, princess and bella

Yorkies? Those dogs serve no purpose. I like dogs that have a purpose. Anything in the sporting breed, hunting, things of that nature.

I have a dachshund and a golden retriever.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yorkies? Those dogs serve no purpose. I like dogs that have a purpose. Anything in the sporting breed, hunting, things of that nature.

I have a dachshund and a golden retriever.

I love both of those dogs as well, yorkies are just cute I love them. I'll throw a husky in there and name him prince.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I love both of those dogs as well, yorkies are just cute I love them. I'll throw a husky in there and name him prince.

Nice. I'm still not into toy breed dogs though, it's that... they just shouldn't be. Oh well, enjoy them if you get them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

enough about the dogs...where are pics of the lady...they show worse things on the news but they can't show a picture of a mauled woman

Why would you want to see that?

And you know what pissed me off about that article? Why did they have to kill the wolf-dogs?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...