An Indianapolis woman gave her heart to the dogs she groomed not knowing they would killer her.
Kimberly A. Williams, 60, was found dead after a dog attack on the west side of Indianapolis back in August while watching two canines for a friend at a home in the 600 block of Olin Avenue.
“That was the ironic thing,” her best friend Pam Henson told IndyStar. “She knew how to work with them and get them under control.”
Henson said the day of the attack Williams called another mutual friend to say the dogs were “acting weird.” They were puking, and Williams told their friend she was scared and asked to be picked up.
A TikTok video from Williams’ daughter-in-law states that Williams was dog-sitting while the owner was in a hospital. “Unbeknownst to her (Williams) the dogs had displayed aggressive behavior before and previously attacked someone,” the slideshow video reads.
“She told our friend the dogs got into a flower pot in the backyard,” Henson said. “They were all dirty so she gave them a bath. After that, I just don’t know. It’s hard because she was so good. She was giving and loved people and she loved helping people.”
Henson said Williams had been staying in the dog-owner’s home for about two weeks before the attack.
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Kimberly Williams, 60, dead from dog attack
Just after 6 p.m. Aug. 2, police officers responded to a report of a person down at a residence in the 600 block of Olin Avenue. They found Williams suffering from what looked like dog bites.
According to police, a friend became concerned when Williams stopped responding to messages so they went by the home. Williams was discovered in the backyard where both dogs were covered in blood.
Indianapolis Animal Care Services arrived shortly after police and went to the backyard. There they found Williams lying in the yard with two light brown and white pit bull mix dogs nearby. They appeared to have dried blood on their faces.
A representative from Animal Care Services contacted the dog’s owner via phone and learned the dogs were named Kracker and Cookie. Officials met with the dog owner in the hospital who said he had known Williams for almost a year and she had known and interacted with the dogs before and was comfortable handling them.
The owner said Kracker had shown aggression once before, but otherwise, both dogs had socialized with people and children regularly without incident.
The owner signed a surrender form for the dogs and Indianapolis Animal Care Services euthanized them the same day as the attack.
The dogs were “large, mixed breeds” that resembled terrier mixes, according to spokesperson Dawn Olsen with the Department of Business and Neighborhood Services.
According to the Marion County Coroner’s Office, Williams died from multiple dog bites and her manner of death was ruled an accident.
That same dog owner had a similar situation with in 2013 with a black American pit bull he owned.
A man had to get medical treatment and told Animal Care Services that he saw the dog jump his fence and attack his dog outside. He went to break it up and was bitten several times by the attacking dog. He wanted to file a report to see what he could do about “the attacking dog being allowed to run the neighborhood all the time.”
The dog owner was charged with six different counts in the 2013 attack, but they were all dismissed.
Police are still actively investing Williams’ case and there have been no arrests made.
Williams remembered by loved ones
“I miss her,” Henson said. “When life happens we could go months without chatting, but we would pick up right where we left off like nothing’s happened. It’s hard because she was so good. She was giving and loved people and she loved helping people.”
Williams had four sons and a daughter with a lot of grandchildren.
“She passed away embodying the thoughtful and loving person she was,” the TikTok video from her daughter-in-law read, “Always willing to help a friend in need. Our family is heartbroken by this senseless tragedy.”
How to address aggressive canines
“One of the best things owners can do to prevent severe injuries,” Colleen Walker with Indianapolis Animal Care Services said, “is recognize early warning signs and intervene as soon as they see any behavior that could be interpreted as aggressive.”
- Work with your dogs to mitigate these behaviors, either with a trainer or on your own
- Early warning signs should not be shrugged off; they are the only way your dog can communicate they are uncomfortable.
- Do not allow untrained people to watch your dogs
- Board dogs at a reputable facility familiar with caring for animals that may need no-contact restrictions.
“Another critical step is to spay and neuter your pets,” Walker said. “A lot of severe bite cases [we] see involve unaltered animals and animals in heat.”
Anyone with information regarding the attack are encouraged to contact Indianapolis Metropolitan Police’s Homicide Unit at (317)327-3475. Anonymous tips can be provided to CrimeStoppers at 317.262.TIPS.
Jade Jackson is a public safety reporter for IndyStar. Contact her at Jade.Jackson@IndyStar. Follow her on Twitter @IAMJADEJACKSON.
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