Florence police file charges against owner of dog that attacked woman | News

FLORENCE – The owners of the dog that attacked and killed a 71-year-old woman have been arrested and charged with possession of a dangerous animal, Florence police announced.

Florence residents Justin Conroy and Ashley Maclean were both taken into custody and transported to the Florence County Detention Center.

They were charged with possessing a dangerous animal causing gratuitous assault, a misdemeanor crime punishable by a fine of up to $5,000 or three years in prison.

This would be Maclean and Conroy’s first offense.

Neighbors reported on social media that the dog had caused problems before, but Captain Stephen Starling of the Florence Police Department said police had not received any previous calls related to the dog.

That changed on July 10, when the dog attacked Karen Nelson, a Florence resident who was biking in her neighborhood that evening, police said. Nelson was later pronounced dead.

According to Florence police records, Maclean was walking the dog while her child rode a bike in the Brigadoone Lane area, a neighborhood in south Florence. Police say the dog was a pit bull.

As Nelson was riding a bicycle nearby, Maclean the dog escaped, tearing his leash and collar. He attacked Nelson, knocking her off her bike and biting her on the neck, according to the police report.

Maclean was unable to get the dog off Nelson before her fiancé arrived, the police report said. Her fiancé was able to pull the dog away and Maclean administered first aid until emergency responders arrived. Nelson was pronounced dead at the hospital.

According to police, the dog was euthanized on July 13. Conroy and Maclean voluntarily surrendered the animal.

In their arrest warrant, the police statement said Conroy and Maclean knew or should have known that the dog had a tendency or predisposition to attack without cause, cause injury or otherwise endanger the safety of people or pets.

Dozens of friends and family members mourned Nelson on social media. She taught music at All Saints Episcopal Day School, and several colleagues and former students were among the mourners.

The attack is the latest in a series of incidents involving dangerous animals that have raised concerns among neighbors and elected officials, prompting both the Florence City Council and Florence County Council to tighten their animal protection ordinances over the past year.

In January, a pack of eight dogs allegedly attacked a 14-month-old child. Due to her injuries, the child was in a coma for almost five days.

Over a year ago, a woman walking her dogs was attacked by several dogs. One of the woman’s dogs died as a result of the attack.

In August 2023, the city passed a stricter version of its dangerous animal ordinance. City Council members said the ordinance was a response to concerns that aggressive dogs were roaming unchecked in neighborhoods.

The ordinance lowered the threshold at which an animal is considered dangerous and increased penalties for violating city regulations.

The county council also revised its ordinance in April, creating different categories of dangerous animals and increasing the fines and liability insurance amounts for certain categories of dangerous animals.

The law cited by Florence police in the charging documents is a state law.