Woman, 73, killed in Roxbury dog attack remembered as ‘heart and soul’ of family

Local News

Jeriline McGinnis died Monday after she was attacked by her dog in Roxbury.

The loved ones of a Roxbury woman who died Monday after she was attacked by her own dog are remembering her as the “heart and soul” of their family. 

Jeriline McGinnis, 73, sustained life-threatening injuries in an attack that injured three others, including two police officers responding to the scene, Boston police said. 

In a statement to CBS Boston, her three children described her as a “loving and caring mother.”

“She put her children first … The heart and soul of our family is gone,” they said. 

Police responded to the report of a dog attack on two people at 35 Dennison St. around 4:49 p.m. on Monday. Inside the residence, they found the grievously wounded McGinnis and a man suffering from “very serious injuries.” Police said while officers were aiding the two victims, the dog returned and attacked two of the responding officers in front of the residence. One of the officers fired their gun at the dog, striking it.

McGinnis and the man were both taken to a local hospital. The two officers were also hospitalized with injuries that were not life-threatening, according to the department.

As of Monday evening, police said the dog involved in the attack was alive and taken from the home by animal control, along with three other dogs.

Boston 25 News reports that since then the dog involved in the attack, a pit bull named “Deuce,” has been euthanized.

Jean McGuire, McGinnis’ landlord and close friend, told CBS Boston that the 73-year-old loved animals.

“She’s very close to her animals, almost like children, I think,” McGuire told the station. “She took good care of them.” 

McGuire, a civil rights pioneer and former longtime leader of Boston’s METCO program, told CBS Boston that her friend and her husband kept their dogs in cages. But, she said, her friend walked them every day.

She described McGinnis as her “sister.”

“I lost my sister,” she said. “She’s a sister. She’s a wonderful person, very generous, very loving person, loved animals.” 

The investigation into the dog attack, the second in Boston in a week, is ongoing. Police are asking anyone with information about the incident or background about the dog to contact investigators at 617-343-4470 or through the tips line 1-800-494-TIPS.

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