A North Carolina woman was attacked and killed by a stray dog while she was protecting her own dog, according to authorities. <\/p>\n
Sampson County Sheriff Jimmy Thornton<\/a> identified the woman as 38-year-old Barbara Hunter Brewington.<\/p>\n Evidence suggests the victim was viciously attacked by the canine while protecting a smaller pet at the residence,” Thornton said in a Facebook post<\/a>.<\/p>\n Thornton said deputies found Brewington suffering from serious injuries outside a home on November 23 shortly before 6:30 p.m. While he said first responders tried to save her, she died.<\/p>\n Citing Thornton, PEOPLE<\/a> reported that Brewington was mauled by “a mixed breed stray dog” she began taking care of in May.<\/p>\n She had her own pet dog,\u201d Thornton said, per the media outlet. \u201cAnd for some reason or another, the little dog got out. And she was trying to separate the stray dog from her pet. And apparently the dog got overly aggressive and attacked her.\u201d<\/p>\n The media outlet added that Brewington “was able to save her smaller dog and get it inside the home.” <\/p>\n In the social media post, Thornton said detectives and animal control arrived and processed the scene. He said the dog that attacked Brewington was euthanized by deputies. <\/p>\n