An Australian woman is fighting for her life in a Townsville hospital after a severe dog attack left her without her right arm. Emergency services were alerted to the incident at around 7:00 AM local time on Friday, where they found the 34-year-old woman suffering from “life-threatening” injuries.
Paramedics arrived at the scene to discover that the woman’s right arm had been severed below the elbow. They managed to retrieve the detached limb before rushing her to a local hospital, where she is currently in serious but stable condition.
Police were forced to shoot the dog involved in the attack, which is believed to be a pit bull. Senior Sergeant Scott Warrick stated at a press conference that when officers arrived, they found the woman bleeding profusely outside the house while the dog remained inside, exhibiting aggressive behavior.
“It was very angry, very aggressive… [it] was still trying to get outside,” said Sgt. Warrick. While some officers secured the area, others provided first aid to the woman, applying a makeshift tourniquet to control the bleeding until paramedics could take over.
Sgt. Warrick, a police officer for 37 years, expressed his shock at the severity of the injuries. “I’ve never seen such a serious injury as a result of a dog attack. The injuries to this lady are just absolutely awful, and we wish her a speedy recovery,” he said.
The decision to euthanize the dog was made following advice from animal control officers. “I have dogs, and to see an outcome like this is absolutely heartbreaking. We do understand people will be upset… but we were left with no other choice,” he added.
A second, smaller dog was found uninjured at the scene and is now being cared for by the RSPCA. Two neighbors reported that the pit bull had a history of aggressive behavior, with one neighbor showing scars from previous attacks.
Sgt. Warrick noted that police might have been contacted about the dog in the past, but further investigations by local authorities, including the RSPCA and the local council, are ongoing to ascertain the specifics of the case.
This incident follows another dog attack in Melbourne just a day earlier, where a woman was critically injured, and three dogs—including two bulldogs and another pit bull—were shot by police. The spate of attacks raises concerns about dog safety and public welfare.
