Dog owner charged after 85-year-old woman’s death in Chatham County
Three dogs were at the scene of a Chatham County woman’s death Tuesday. Now, the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office has announced charges against the dogs’ owner.
Dennis O’Keith Faulkner, 32, of Apex, was charged with six misdemeanors — three counts of allowing animals to roam at large prohibited and three counts of dog vaccination violations, the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday afternoon.
Chatham County deputies responded to Alston Road near Apex at 11 a.m. Tuesday after a report of a possible dog attack. Deputies found Betty Alston, 85, dead outside a home. A family member told deputies he had to shoo the dogs away from himself and Alston.
Faulkner is accused of letting two Cane Corsos and a tan bulldog mix roam at large, “resulting in animal attack,” according to his arrest warrant.
Faulkner also allegedly failed to vaccinate the dogs against rabies.
Faulkner is being held on a $15,000 bail, court records show. Additional findings in Faulkner’s release order said he has a history of the same alleged behavior of dogs terrorizing the neighborhood.
Alston’s daughter told ABC11, The News & Observer’s newsgathering partner, on Tuesday that her mother was in her yard when three dogs attacked her.
Several Facebook accounts posted tributes to Alston on Wednesday. One Apex resident wrote that Alston was a “beautiful and kind-hearted woman.”
The Chatham County Sheriff’s Office said additional charges may be filed after more investigation. The dogs were seized and taken to a veterinary facility for evaluation and evidence collection.
This story was originally published May 20, 2026 at 5:45 PM with the headline "Dog owner charged after 85-year-old woman’s death in Chatham County."
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