Woman’s arm ‘severed’ in brutal dog attack in Townsville

Neighbours have described how a dangerous dog recently attacked two other people before it tore off part of its owner’s arm. See what happened. *WARNING: Graphic images

Garbutt resident Annmarie Walters, 34, has been identified as the victim of the dog attack.

The “large breed pitbull” which viciously tore its Garbutt owner’s arm off below the elbow, had attacked two other people in recent months according to neighbours who ran to the woman’s aid on Friday.

Still in shock following the disturbing incident, Lonerganne St residents Rachel Fraser and Dale Butler confirmed their next door neighbour Annmarie Walters, 34, was the victim of the dog attack.

Mr Butler described how his neighbour Ms Fraser had been visiting the dog owner, Ms Walters, with both women at the front of the house when the attack took place.

He said the dog had been barking and trying to get outside and Ms Walters was trying to push it back inside the house when it grabbed onto her hand, and “ripped it up”.

“It just grabbed her arm. It must have been hungry for blood … it was locked on,” Ms Fraser said.

Lonerganne St resident Annmarie Walters, 34, had her arm severed in an attack by her pitbull on Friday. Picture: Supplied.

Desperately trying to free his neighbour from the dog’s grip, Mr Butler said he grabbed a knife and tried to stab the dog through the screen door, before getting a hose to spray the animal.

He said the dog eventually let go of its own accord.

Mr Butler said he had warned Ms Walters that she needed to get rid of the dog after it “ripped up two fellas” in the last three months, with one of them being her husband.

A Townsville University Hospital spokesman said on Saturday that Ms Walters remained in a “serious but stable condition”.

A vicious dog attack occurred at the doorway of this Lonerganne St property in Garbutt. Picture: Leighton Smith.

First aid saves dog attack victim’s life

First aid performed by police likely saved the life of a Townsville woman seriously mauled by her own dog Friday morning.

District Duty Officer Senior Sergeant Scot Warrick said police were still not aware what sparked the attack, but by the time officers arrived on scene around 7.15am the dog was barricaded inside the house and the woman was outside.

Police applied a tourniquet to the woman’s arm — an act Snr Sgt Warrick said “might have saved her life”.

“It was a very severe, very catastrophic injury,” he said.

“Our police crews were first on scene, and when they arrived they located a 34-year-old woman … police observed her to be suffering from very severe injuries to her right arm, which she stated were caused by her dog.”

The woman was in stable, but serious condition at Townsville University Hospital as of Friday evening.

Snr Sgt Warrick said the dog was “very angry, very aggressive and still trying to get outside” when police arrived and started stabilising the woman until paramedics arrived.

It is understood the woman was home alone during the attack, and there were two dogs on the property — a “large breed, pitbull” responsible for the mauling and a “non violent” staffy.

The staffy is now in the care of RSPCA, Snr Sgt Warrick said.

“She is very lucky her neighbours called emergency services,” he said.

The pitbull was shot dead by police on the scene after Townsville City Council animal control officers attended and decided they could not remove the animal safely from the house.

“I know people will be very upset by that,” Snr Sgt Warrick said of the dog’s death.

“But we had no other option.”

“I’ve been a police officer 37 years, this is the first time I’ve seen something like this severe.”

Police hose blood off the driveway of a Garbutt residence after a woman had her arm severed by a dog.

Meanwhile the neighbour of the severely injured woman says he was also attacked by the animal just two weeks ago.

A witness at the scene said the dog — described as a “mongrel” pitbull mix — set upon its owner after one of her neighbours arrived outside her home.

“The dog got riled up at the neighbour and she put her arm out to bring him back, that’s when he got her arm,” she said.

“Her arm’s off from under the elbow.”

Neighbour and friend of the victim Corey Geesu said he was attacked by the same dog when he visited two weeks ago.

Pointing to the litter of scars on his arms, Mr Geesu said he spent a couple of days in hospital after the incident.

Neighbour and friend of the victim Corey Geesu said he was attacked by the same dog when he went over two weeks ago.

“It’s a dangerous dog, lucky it never bit no kid. A kid would never survive,” he said.

“They should have got rid of it after what happened to me.”

The Garbutt woman, aged in her 30s, was rushed to hospital after the dog severed her arm in a vicious attack.

It is understood police were forced to shoot the dog while coming to her aid.

Emergency services were called to a home on Lonerganne St in Garbutt shortly after 7am where they found the woman with life-threatening injuries.

It is understood police and paramedics found the woman with a severed upper arm.

Police at the scene of a dog attack at a home in Gulliver, Townsville.

The arm was recovered and sent to hospital where surgeons will attempt to reattach it.

Queensland Ambulance Service confirmed that the woman had suffered significant injuries to her arm, described as potentially life-threatening.

A Townsville City Council spokesperson said they were working with Queensland Police to provide information as investigations continue.

“Council is aware of a dog attack at Garbutt this morning that resulted in an injury to a person and the death of a dog following Queensland Police attendance,” the spokesperson said.

Originally published as Woman’s arm ‘severed’ in brutal dog attack in Townsville