Amanda Mears, 42, had been getting ready to take her dog Dennis, an American Pit Bull–American Staffordshire mix, out for his usual walk.
As she prepared, Dennis suddenly lunged at her other dog, Ralphie, an American Bully who had come out of a separate room where Amanda had been keeping him while she got Dennis ready.
Dennis latched onto her leg and refused to let go, leaving Amanda in intense pain as she struggled to free herself from the dog she had raised since he was a puppy.
Despite repeated attempts to force his jaws open, Dennis continued to hold on, while Amanda shouted to her 10-year-old son to stay inside his room.
During the struggle, her hand was bitten and her arm was injured so badly that one of the bones was crushed.
“When he charged at my other dog, Ralphie, I got in between them, and that’s when Dennis latched on to my leg and would not let go,” she told The Mirror.
Amanda was rushed to the hospital, where she quickly realized she was unable to stand.
“I wasn’t able to stand up because my leg was basically hanging off,” she said.
After doctors explained what would be required to try to save her leg, Amanda made the decision that amputation was the better option.
She also shared that Dennis was euthanized following the attack.
“Dennis has always been the sweetest dog; he’d never been aggressive before,” she said. “I decided to have Dennis put down, which was hard.”
A GoFundMe has since been set up to support Amanda as she adapts to life with one leg, with donations helping to cover medical and living costs.
