Florida Arrests Linda Cutler, 29, After 2 Pit Bulls Mauled Jodi Cowan to Death

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 7

Eight days after the May 19 attack, Brevard County deputies arrested Linda Cutler, 29, after investigators said her two pit bulls escaped again and fatally mauled 50-year-old Jodi Cowan in Cocoa, Florida.
Sheriff Wayne Ivey said Cutler knew the dogs repeatedly got out, knew one had previously bitten a neighbor, and took minimal steps to secure them despite at least five citations and 14 calls since October 2024.
Security video and an eight-minute 911 call captured Cowan being dragged as she tried to shield her small dog; her partner fought the dogs off with a knife, but Cowan died about four hours later.
The dogs, Max and Mako, are being held by county animal services and will be euthanized, while Cutler is jailed without bond because she was already out on another charge.
The case has renewed scrutiny of Florida's dangerous-dog law, which Ivey said limits seizures unless a bite is severe and can leave owners able to keep dogs under court-ordered restrictions.