A 34-year-old woman is fighting for her life in a Townsville hospital after her own dog, believed to be a pit bull, severed her right arm below the elbow in a vicious attack on Friday morning.
Emergency services responded to a call at a house in the coastal city of Townsville, Queensland, around 07:00 local time. Paramedics retrieved the detached part of the woman’s arm before rushing her to hospital, where she remains in serious but stable condition.
Senior Sergeant Scott Warrick reported that police arrived to find the woman bleeding heavily outside the house, with the aggressive dog still inside. “It was very angry, very aggressive… [it] was still trying to get outside,” Warrick stated at a press conference.
Police were forced to shoot the dog dead at the scene, a decision made on the advice of animal control officers. “I’ve been a police officer for 37 years… this is the first time I’ve gone to such a serious injury as a result of a dog attack,” Warrick added, describing the woman’s injuries as “absolutely awful.”
Two neighbors told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that the dog involved was known for being aggressive, with one showing scars from a previous alleged attack by the same animal.
A second, smaller dog found uninjured at the scene is now in the care of the RSPCA. Authorities are investigating whether there had been previous complaints about the dog involved in the attack.
This incident follows another severe dog attack in Melbourne just a day earlier, where a woman was critically injured by three dogs, reportedly two bulldogs and a pit bull, which were subsequently shot dead by police.
These back-to-back attacks have reignited discussions about dog ownership responsibilities and breed-specific legislation in Australia. As investigations continue, local authorities are urging pet owners to ensure their animals are properly trained and controlled to prevent such tragic incidents.
