Suburban Firefighter Killed By Her Own Dog

BIG ROCK, Ill. (CBS) -- A far west suburban firefighter and paramedic died from wounds suffered in an attack by one of her own dogs, a bull mastiff, police said Wednesday.

Dawn Brown, 44, was found dead Monday afternoon, in the home she shared with her husband, Bob, and their three dogs: a bull mastiff, a pit bull mix, and a boxer.

Kane County Sheriff's Police Lt. Pat Gengler said Bob Brown, who is also a firefighter, found his wife's body in their home in the 400 block of Jefferson Street in Big Rock. Her body bore severe wounds, and a Tuesday autopsy revealed the wounds were caused by the couple's mastiff.

"A lot of it, I think, had to do with the size of the dog," Gengler said.

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Gengler said the death appears to have been accidental, and there are no plans to file any criminal charges in the matter.

Kane County Animal Control has seized all three dogs.

Dawn Brown was home alone at the time of the attack. The couple did not have any children, only the three dogs, according to Gengler.

Dawn Brown was a full-time firefighter/paramedic for the Bristol-Kendall Fire Protection District, and a part-time paramedic for the Big Rock Fire Protection District.

Gengler said she and her husband were so devoted to public service that they always backed into their driveway so they could be ready to pull out forward on a moment's notice if there was an emergency call.

Big Rock resident Mary Hake and her husband would see the firefighter and her spouse walking their pets. That made Brown's death so tragic, she says.

"It's just heartbreaking, very heartbreaking," Hake told CBS 2's Pamela Jones.