When Samantha Hesler was face-to-face with an aggressive pit bull she had been hired to watch, her daughter saved her life. The dog which had been fine earlier in the day suddenly grabbed ahold of Hesler’s arm and wouldn’t let go. That is when Hesler began to scream for help. Knowing that if she fell to the ground it would be all over.
Hesler’s 16-year-old daughter bravely ran to the kitchen to fetch a butcher’s knife and used it to stab the dog in the eye. This caused it to let go of Hesler, who she then dragged back inside the house. But, the pit bull still managed to bite Hesler’s leg and feet before it was forced to retreat.
The attack left Hesler injured and hospitalized for a month. Doctors considered amputating her arm, but a specialist was able to reconstruct it by sewing it to Hesler’s side. This process is to maximize blood flow in order for her to potentially have some use of the limb in the future.
Following the incident, authorities shot the dog three times and tased it, but the pit bull was still so aggressive that animal control had to gas it to get it out of the back of their truck. It was later discovered that the owner of the animal had been actively training his animals to be aggressive.
Unfortunately, Hesler’s story serves to remind us to look into the background of animals that we are bringing into our homes, especially pit bulls. “I just want everyone to understand and be aware of the dog’s history,” she said. “I thank God everyday that I’m still alive, and my daughter is a hero for how she reacted. If anything would have been different that day, I don’t know whether I would still be here.”
Hesler is now home recovering from the attack, and a GoFundMe account has been set up to assist the family with medical expenses.