HOLLYWOOD, FLA. (WSVN) - Two women were seriously injured and a small dog was killed after a dog attack in Hollywood, Friday morning.
According to Christine Bedford, she was walking her 13-year-old terrier, Roxy, along the 5900 block of Buchanan Street when two American bulldogs, Daisy and Duke, got loose from a nearby mobile home.
Seconds later, the two dogs attacked Bedford’s small dog. When Bedford tried to intervene, she was also attacked by the two dogs. Moments later, her neighbor, Regina, heard the screams and ran to help, but she also attacked by the dogs.
Roxy died during the mauling.
Bedford’s husband, Robert Bedford, heard the screams and came out and tried to help, along with several neighbors. “They had a hold of my wife, slinging her like a rag doll,” he said. “Then, once you’d punch them, and they’d start to turn on me, they’d start to walk away and get at her again.”
He said he will never forget what it felt like at that moment. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget to watch them sling my wife around like they did. And her laying there… it was just devastating.”
Neighbors who ran to help described the terrifying attack. “They were getting shook around like rag dolls,” said one neighbor, “and we pounded the dogs off — just tried to get ’em off her.”
“When I saw the dogs attacking the two ladies, I called the police,” said another neighbor. “I mean, he was trying to fight it off to save his wife.”
Police were called and were forced to use a Taser on one of the dogs, while the other dog ran off. It was later captured.
Both women were transported to Memorial Regional Hospital with serious injuries. According to Regina’s son, she underwent surgery and by the afternoon and remains in the hospital.
Late Friday morning, Bedford was discharged from the hospital and returned home, where she is recovering physically and emotionally. “She is torn up and really upset about the dog,” said her husband, “mostly about her missing her baby.”
Her home will not be the same without Roxy, said her husband. “She ate everything my wife did,” he said, “eat ice cream, chocolate, doesn’t matter, she ate it. Onions, garlic, she loved it. Corn on the cob, she liked to nibble on it. She was a wonderful dog.”
Both of the bulldogs dogs are in the custody of Broward County Animal Control and will be quarantined for 10 days.
The family of the dog’s owner has set up a Go Fund Me page for her unexpected medical bills: www.gofundme.com/22wdj2vc.
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