Grandmother of Three Lucky To Be Alive After Being Mauled by Two Dogs During Walk
There are certain things you’re supposed to do when approached by a vicious dog: hold still, don’t look them in the eye, ignore them and slowly move to safety.
That’s all well and good if you’re alone and they’re investigating you, but if you have a dog with you, the approaching dog’s attention will likely be focused on the pup, not you. And if the oncoming dogs decide to attack, how do you defend yourself and your dog?
Jill Jones tried to protect her nearly 3-year-old cockapoo from two dogs that attacked them while they were out on a walk, and she has the wounds to prove it.
Jones was out on Dec. 30, taking a stroll with her dog Charlie at about 2:30 in the afternoon. She noticed there were two dogs following them a ways back, and kept her eye on them.
“Terrifying is not the word,” said Jones, according to Lancashire Post. “I thought I was a goner. They were wild, their eyes were evil, it’s like they were trying to kill us.”
But the dogs decided to charge, and they started attacking Charlie.
“They were all over him and pulling him every which way like a rag doll. I didn’t know what else to do, so I just gave them my hand and tried to cover him.”
Generally, you want to try to help your dog out as much as possible without also injuring yourself. It’s very easy for fighting dogs to misplace their aggression and redirect onto nearby people even if they’ve never been aggressive toward people before.
Jones wasn’t going to let the loose dogs take her pup, though, and she didn’t care that she would be hurt. For her, it was worth the sacrifice.
“Charlie is my world and I was trying to protect him any way I could,” she admitted. “That’s why my hand is ravaged and shredded. I wasn’t bothered about myself, I just wanted to save Charlie.”
As the dogs attacked her and she screamed, neighbors heard the commotion and came to help. Some kicked at the attacking dogs, and a man grabbed the neck of one of the dogs and held him until authorities arrived.
Both dogs were eventually located and their owner was identified. Some sources suggest that the dogs were pit bull crosses, while others aren’t so sure. Either way, their lives hang in the balance as they may face euthanasia.
Jones was ushered to a nearby house and cared for by the concerned locals. “The gentlemen who helped me are my heroes I’ll tell you,” Jones said.
“They probably saved our lives. One of them took us into his home where his wife cared for me. I can’t thank them enough for what they did. Those dogs were killers and they didn’t think twice about helping me.”
Both Jones and Charlie had to undergo medical treatment, but they’re both still plugging along and have proven they are survivors.
“I had an operation and the doctors said my recovery is going to be a long process,” said Jones, whose left arm is in a large, padded sling. “I can’t do a thing and my hand looks disfigured. I can’t even hold a cigarette.”
“It’s made me a nervous wreck. When I came home from the hospital, I got out of the car and some dogs were barking down the street. It scared me to death.”
She’s thrilled that her dog is still with her, and says she wouldn’t be able to go on without him. He has his own bandage around his head and is healing from the puncture wounds he received.
“If Charlie had died, I would have gladly joined him, as I can’t live or exist without him,” she said. “I wouldn’t have been able to carry on without him. He’s my life and my world.”
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