Fatal sheriff’s-office-attributed incident record · 2026-09-14

Mildred Malott, 83, killed in three-dog attack in Darke County, Ohio

The Darke County Sheriff’s Office said Mildred Malott was fatally attacked by three dogs outside a neighboring Clapp Road property on September 14; the owners were later cited and the three involved dogs remained in custody.

Fatal · 1 victimBreed: Mixed-breed dogs (three involved)Darke County, OH

Date2026-09-14 · About 11:24 a.m. EDT (911 call)

Location4700 block of Clapp Road in rural Darke County; BiteDB does not publish an exact residence

Victim(s)1 adult woman, Mildred Malott, 83

Dogs involved3 dogs involved in the attack; property owners reportedly had 5 dogs total

Injury severityFatal — 83-year-old Mildred Malott pronounced dead at the scene

Breed attributionMixed-breed dogs (three involved)WHIO, citing the Darke County Sheriff’s Office, reported that the property owners had five mixed-breed dogs and that three were involved in the attack. No individual breed, mix, genetic result, or visual breed identification was reported, and BiteDB does not infer one.

What the record currently shows

Incident summary

The Darke County Sheriff’s Office said 83-year-old Mildred Malott was fatally attacked by three dogs after walking to a neighboring property in the 4700 block of Clapp Road on September 14. WHIO reported that Malott had gone to ask about chickens she found near her property and was attacked near the rear entrance deck. The property owners secured the dogs before calling 911. The dog warden seized all five dogs at the property, later returned two that were not involved, and retained the three involved animals.

Legal-status note

WHIO reported that property owners Scott and Pennie Royer were cited with a third-degree misdemeanor under Ohio Revised Code 955.22 for a vicious-dog act violation and that authorities planned to file for an official vicious-dog designation for the three involved animals. A citation is not a conviction, and the reviewed report did not establish a final court ruling, final dangerous/vicious-dog designation, euthanasia order, or other final animal disposition.

Media & source coverage

Video, reporting and source material

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↗Primary incident reportWHIO — 83-year-old woman killed after dog attack; owners citedSource-hosted reporting; no publisher imagery is copied into BiteDB.

Source provenance

Primary record used by BiteDB

WHIO — 83-year-old woman killed after dog attack; owners citedLocal television reporting citing Darke County Sheriff’s Office and dog warden investigation · Published 2026-09-17 · Accessed 2026-09-17

WHIO reported, citing the Darke County Sheriff’s Office, that an 11:24 a.m. 911 call reported Malott unresponsive in the driveway. The sheriff’s office said she had gone to the neighboring property to ask about chickens, walked toward the rear entrance, and was attacked by three dogs. The owners reportedly had five properly licensed mixed-breed dogs with no prior documented complaints or issues. The dog warden kept the three involved animals and returned two that had remained inside.

Open original source ↗

Additional sources

No additional independent report was located for this new incident during this build. The primary report attributes the incident details to the Darke County Sheriff’s Office.

Data-quality notes

What BiteDB does not infer

Breed is recorded only at the provenance level shown above. Missing injury details, dog history, ownership facts or circumstances remain unknown unless a reliable source establishes them. This record may be updated as police, animal-control, medical, court or follow-up reporting becomes available.