LAUDERHILL, FLA. (WSVN) - A South Carolina woman is in the hospital after undergoing multiple surgeries, following an attack by at least one of her three dogs in a Lauderhill apartment.
Officials said the 43-year-old woman was rushed to Broward Health Medical Center, Monday afternoon, after she was mauled inside an apartment, which is located on the 4100 block of Northwest 21st Street.
Broward Animal Care and Control confirmed that all three dogs are pit bulls.
According to police, the woman was visiting from South Carolina and staying with relatives who live in the apartment when the attack happened.
“She was in her apartment by herself, and her nephew came in and saw the attack in progress, ran out of the apartment and called 911,” said Lauderhill Police Maj. Rick Rocco.
Lauderhill police arrived to find one of the dogs mauling the woman. Police said the officer utilized a baton and then pepper spray on the dog to stop the attack, neither of which worked. Therefore, the officer used a firearm to shoot the dog.
According to Lauderhill Fire Rescue, the woman was transported to Broward Health Medical Center where she underwent surgery throughout the evening. She is currently in critical condition. “Both of her arms are in very critical condition,” said Rocco.
Once she was transported, police barricaded the door of the apartment, trapping the three dogs inside. The dog who was shot was still alive at that point, according to police who looked through a window.
“We could see two of the dogs through the window right now. They appear to be docile,” Rocco said, before police were eventually able to remove the dog believed to be involved in the attack.
Joyce Jacob is a neighbor who lives above the woman. “I really think that if he didn’t come home, she would’ve got killed,” she said.
Jacob said she heard the dogs barking and came outside to see police trying to save her neighbor. “They kept beating the wall and yelling for the dogs to move,” she said. “I’m assuming they were walking around. There was a lot of blood on her arms, face, feet.”
#Breaking LFR on scene of a woman attacked by 3 pitbulls. PT being txp to BGH in critical condition. 4126 NW 21 St. #Lauderhill
— Lauderhill Fire PIO (@LauderhillFDPIO) December 5, 2016
Neighbors said they are wondering how this could have happened, because the dogs never showed any aggression. “They’re fine,” said one man who lives nearby. “Yeah, I have a German shepherd in my house, and nobody bothered them. I don’t know what happened.”
“They never really bark at no one outside, and so I’m very much surprised at this incident, this evening,” said another neighbor.
“I have a German Shepard in my house and nobody bothers them,” said a neighbor.
The two other pit bulls were eventually removed from the apartment.
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