Pit bulls 'neglected' before they mauled, ate then 'guarded' owner's body
WARNING - DISTRESSING CONTENT: As a grieving family tries to comprehend how two seemingly loving pet dogs could maul their young owner to death, police have revealed that "a change in lifestyle" may have prompted the gruesome tragedy.
The body of Bethany Lynn Stephens was found in the woods by her father when he went looking for the 22-year-old and her two pit bulls, Tonka and Pacman, in Goochland, Virginia.
That's where he found his daughter, alongside the two dogs who were "guarding" her partially eaten body.
After news spread of the young woman's horrific death, the Goochland County Sheriff department was flooded with phone calls and questions on social media about the incident, with speculation and misinformation quickly running rife.
"The victim had defensive wounds on her hands and arms [caused by] trying to keep the dogs away from her, which would be consistent with being attacked while she was still alive," Sheriff Agnew said in an earlier interview.
Photos of Ms Stephens and her pit bulls paint a loving relationship between owner and pet, but it's now been revealed the dogs were "a little big neglected" in the lead-up to the tragedy.
Dealing with her own personal problems, Ms Stephens left Tonka and Pacman with her dad.
It was there, police believe the dogs weren't fed daily and had gone from living inside to spending their time outside as the colder months approached.
"This was such a huge lifestyle change,” certified master dog trainer Valerie Paul explained to local media.
Ms Paul said, while hard to fathom, dogs can "view even their owners as threats or food sources" and the fact that the dogs attacked and ate Ms Stephens was "a dog thing" - not a matter of their breed.
"When we see a body, we think of our loved ones and all of the memories that they bring to us, dogs don’t, in general."
"There are so many factors within that lifestyle change that we may see as small things that the dogs may see as larger.”
"Most dogs aren’t going to just turn on an owner... the fact that they are pit bulls doesn’t connect to what they did, it is a dog thing."
With the family's permission the dogs were euthanised in the days after the attack.
Authorities have ruled out foul play and are now awaiting toxicology reports.
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