With all apologies to the Oklahoma Health Department, the saddest, weirdest and strangest local news story that happened while I was away on paternity leave had to do with Ardmore resident Tracy Garcia. She was mauled to death by a pack of vicious wiener dogs outside her Ardmore home.
Naturally, the story was picked up by the national online clickbait news circuit. Hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of pageview-starved magazines, newspapers and local TV news channels picked up the story and it's WTF, made-for-clicking headline.
Because I like to keep it local, here's a breakdown from the Ardmorite:
Early reports said an Ardmore woman was brutally killed by dogs Thursday Night east of Ardmore.
Early reports said an Ardmore woman [Tracy Garcia] was brutally killed by dogs Thursday Night east of Ardmore.
The attack occurred on Banyon Road, just off Mary Niblack near the county line...
The oldest dog of the group was aged at about three years old by her teeth. All of the animals appeared to be a mix of Dachshund and some sort of terrier, Layton said. The oldest of the dogs was reportedly slightly larger and could have been mixed with Border Collie or similar. None of the dogs had legs longer than an adult’s hand per photos retained by the shelter.
Great news, pit bull owners! You now have a flimsily defense to your flimsy argument that it's not the breed of dog, but the owner of dog that makes them dangerous. Maybe next week someone in Anadarko will be decapitated by a Bichon Frise to further support your Internet comment section arguments.