LIVINGSTON COUNTY (WWJ) - Animal control officers made a gruesome discovery at a Livingston County home on Wednesday while following up on a dangerous dog complaint.
The Livingston County Sheriff's Department said in a prepared statement that animal control officers were out at the home on Faussett Road in Tyrone Township just before noon on Aug. 2 when they stumbled across a dog "actively biting" the body of a 68-year-old male resident in the backyard.
The animal was identified as a Mastiff mix breed that lived at the address and had a history of dangerous behavior.
"Animal Control Deputies were at the residence serving the homeowner a court notice issued by the 53rd District Court for a show-cause hearing," the sheriff's office said. "The dog at that residence had recently been involved in a dog attack incident where an area resident received extremely serious injuries."
Deputies were trying to get in contact with the dog's owner when they came across the gruesome scene in a cattle pasture behind the home.
"It was observed that the dog was actively biting the decedent's body when Animal Control Deputies located him," authorities stated.
The aggressive dog was killed on-site so emergency personal could reach the man and render aid, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Deputies said the man sustained "fatal injuries consistent in appearance with a dog attack."
No foul play is suspected in the man's death. An autopsy to determine the official cause of death will be performed at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing.
Deputies said they were helped at the scene by the Hartland Area Fire Department and the Livingston County EMS.
No other details have been released. This incident remains under investigation by the Livingston County Sheriff's Office Detective Bureau
This is a developing story. Stay tuned to WWJ LIVE for the latest updates.