On Monday, June 20, Jocelyn Winfrey was walking with a friend and his dogs when the dogs attacked the pair. Winfrey, 53, lost her eyes and had a leg amputated over the past week, but unfortunately on Monday, June 27 she succumbed to her injuries, according to a family friend and Alderman Brian Wingate.
A GoFundMe page has been set up by a friend of the Winfrey family to help pay for funeral expenses.
Police say the two dogs who attacked Winfrey were pit bulls, though some neighbors have said one was a bulldog.
FOX 61 last reported on Winfrey’s attack on Thursday, at which point she was still in “extremely grave” condition.
The owner of the dogs, Dr. Hamilton Hicks, who works at the Yale School of Medicine, was charged with misdemeanor possession charges because he had crack cocaine, and police said last week they would consider adding charges related to the dog attack, especially if Winfrey dies.
According to Animal Control, the dogs will likely be euthanized.
“Usually on regular dog bites we give the animals every opportunity, but because of the seriousness of this injury, we have to do what we have to do,” New Haven Animal Control Officer Joseph Manganiello told FOX 61 last Wednesday.
Wingate, who lives across the street from where the attack occurred, said he was doing yard work when he heard screams.
“My next-door neighbor started yelling, saying ‘the dog is attacking a female across the street,'” said Wingate. Neighbors ran over to help, and neighborhood kids threw rocks at the dog to try and stop it. “We were jumping over, throwing rocks at the pit bulls as the pit bulls were just basically eating her up.”
Campbell says if there is anything positive to come out of this horrible tragedy, it’s that there is a conversation citywide about pet ownership.
“We have instructed our officers to be aware of any dogs that may be roaming to make sure that owners have their dogs on leashes and to have that informative conversation with people,” he said.
Alderman Wingate said that they are discussing a citywide ban on potentially vicious pets, including, but not limited to pit bulls.
