A Cocoa, Florida woman is dead and her neighbor is behind bars following a fatal dog attack on Blue Bonnet Drive.
Jodi Cowan, 50, died at a local trauma center roughly four hours after being attacked by two pit bulls, named Max and Mako, according to Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey. Cowan, who had lived on the street for only two weeks, was walking her small dog after midnight when the neighbor’s dogs escaped their yard.
A security camera captured the incident. The footage shows Cowan holding her small dog to her chest while attempting to flee. The two pit bulls forced Cowan to the ground and dragged her a significant distance.
Cowan’s partner, Donnell Smith, heard the screams and intervened by swinging a knife to drive the dogs away. Smith called 911 and attempted to administer aid to Cowan while keeping the dogs at bay during an eight-minute phone call. Cowan’s small dog escaped the encounter without injury.
“She was a great woman,” Smith told WESH News. “She just loved people, loved dogs more than people.”
Brevard County Public Information Officer Tod Goodyear stated that Cowan suffered extensive injuries during the attack.
The owner of the pit bulls, 29-year-old Linda Cutler, was arrested eight days after the incident. Sheriff Ivey stated that Cutler checked into a beachside hotel after the mauling, where local law enforcement later responded to a separate disturbance involving her. Upon her arrest, Cutler claimed to be having a heart attack, but hospital staff evaluated and cleared her of any medical medical issues before she was booked into jail. Cutler is currently being held without bond due to a pre-existing charge.
An investigation by the sheriff’s office revealed that neighbors had contacted law enforcement at least 14 times regarding Cutler’s dogs since October 2024. Residents reported that the dogs frequently escaped their chain-link fence, roamed the neighborhood, and pinned residents on their porches.
Resident Dominica Midkiff noted that the dogs grew increasingly aggressive over time. Midkiff recalled an incident 20 days prior to the fatal attack where she remained trapped inside her car because the dogs were watching her from outside.
Records show that Animal Services had previously issued Cutler at least five citations and hundreds of dollars in fines. Investigators also confirmed the dogs had previously bitten a neighbor who required medical treatment. However, Sheriff Ivey explained that local animal control officers lacked the legal authority to seize the animals prior to the fatal attack.
Under Florida law, animal enforcement officers cannot seize a dog for non-severe bites; the maximum penalty is a citation and a fine. Even if a dog is declared dangerous by a magistrate, state law allows owners to keep the animals if they install proper fencing, use muzzles for visitors, post warning signs, and carry a $100,000 insurance policy.
Furthermore, Sheriff Ivey noted that previous enforcement efforts were hindered because the victim of the prior dog bite refused to cooperate with investigators, preventing officers from pursuing further legal action. Investigators did look into potential animal neglect complaints but found adequate food and water at Cutler’s residence.
During the post-attack investigation, authorities stated that Cutler acknowledged her dogs were becoming increasingly aggressive, even toward her, but asked when she could recover them.
The two dogs are currently held by Brevard County Animal Services and are scheduled to be euthanized.
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