33-year-old woman was mauled to death Saturday by her two pit bulls, who’d been quarantined earlier this month after a biting incident in Irving, Texas, according to a police statement. The attack occurred at O’Connor Animal Hospital in Irving.
The victim, Johana Villafane, was visiting the dogs Saturday when she was attacked in an outside exercise area, according to the statement.
The animals had been under quarantine after escaping Villafane’s yard weeks ago and biting her neighbor, the statement says.
They were under observation for signs of rabies, according to police. The statement didn’t indicate how severe the bite to the neighbor was.
When staffers at the facility noticed Villafane’s visit was running a little long, they went to check in on her, discovering the mom of two on the ground and bleeding while her dogs attacked her.
Staffers called 911, and responding officers arrived as the dogs were still attacking Villafane.
Officers tried approaching the severely injured woman, but the dogs responded aggressively, forcing one of the officers to fatally shoot the dogs.
Speaking to the local CBS affiliate, a neighbor described the two dogs as “aggressively friendly.”
A Facebook fundraising page has been launched for Villafane, and, as of Monday morning, it had generated nearly $14,000 in donations.
The page describes Villafane as “an amazing mom that was completely in love with her two children.”
It adds: “We want everyone to remember her as she was — a very happy, loving, fun, caring, helpful person.”
