A 63-year-old woman in the US had to undergo amputation of both her legs and parts of her hands after being attacked by three pit bulls, according to a report by Fox News. The incident occurred on November 24 near her home in Fort Dodge, Iowa. Surprisingly, all three dogs are owned by her 38-year-old son, who lives with her.
When neighbors heard the woman screaming, they immediately called the police. Upon arrival, the officers found the victim being mauled by the dogs. Initially, they tried to scare the dogs away using pepper spray, but when that failed, they were forced to shoot each dog multiple times, resulting in the death of all three animals.
“The officer attempted to scare the dogs away to stop them from attacking the woman, but the dogs would not stop. The officer on scene then drew his duty weapon and shot all three dogs multiple times to stop the attack,” stated Police Chief Dennis Quinn on the department’s Facebook page.
The victim, identified as Brittany Skoland, was in critical condition and was rushed to Unity Point Trinity Medical Center. She was later airlifted to Iowa Methodist Medical Center, where she underwent multiple surgeries for severe head trauma. Her injuries were so severe that both her legs had to be amputated to the knees, and she also lost parts of her hands.
“This is a tragic situation involving a mother and her son’s dogs in the backyard of their home. Our hearts are heavy following this incident, and we are grateful the victim was able to call 911 for help as quickly as she did — even as the attack was happening. It likely did save her life,” said Police Chief Brady Cottam.
A neighbor, Rosemary Possehn, who witnessed the attack, described the horrifying scene. “I was sitting in my living room, and I was just sitting there and all of a sudden I heard bang, bang, bang, and I come to the door and I saw all the cops, well there was only one at the time, and I saw the lady laying on the ground and the dogs going at her and the cops shot them.”
The incident is currently under investigation by the police, but no charges have been filed yet. The victim’s friends and family have expressed their shock and support for her during this difficult time.
