An award-winning children’s author lost an arm and an ear when she was mauled by at least three pit bulls on her daily morning stroll.
The dogs dragged Roseana Murray at least 16ft and tore part of her arm off on Friday morning (5 April).
Locals who heard her screams called the fire department.
When first responders arrived at the scene, they found the bloodied 73-year-old with bite marks all over her body.
Murray, was in critical condition when she was airlifted from the scene in Saquarema, Brazil, to a hospital in São Gonçalo.
She was taken to the operating room, where her right arm was amputated and her left arm and lips were reconstructed.
Shopkeeper and friend Sandra Noleto told local media how the horror unfolded.
She said: “I woke up to the sound of a neighbour screaming for help because Roseana was being attacked by the dogs.
“There were three of them, from a house that had been squatted some time ago.
“When I looked, they had dragged her and were biting her arm.”
The dogs’ owner, who lives nearby, was taken to the police station for questioning before being released on bail.
His pets were taken to a shelter, as reported by Need To Know.
According to Noleto, it’s not the first time the pets have bitten people.
She told local media: “I hope my friend pulls through because she left here in bad shape.
“Plus, we’re expecting the authorities to respond and punish this guy [the owner].”
The police are investigating the dogs’ owner for animal cruelty, negligent bodily harm and negligence in the care of animals.
Murray, born in Rio de Janeiro, began writing poetry for children in the early 1980s after getting a degree in French Literature.
She’s published about 100 books and has received numerous awards.
She has 13,600 Instagram followers and is married to Spanish journalist Juan Arias Martínez, 91.
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