Pit Bull Lunging At Toddler Didn't Expect Young Mom To Fight Back
Her Moments Staff
Growing up, we all heard from our parents that we should never touch a strange dog. But what about familiar animals? This Texas woman thought there wouldn't be any surprises in introducing her toddler to a canine she knew well. When the meeting veered off course, the mom quickly got in between the two of them. There was no time to think.
A Devoted Mom
Chelsi Camp had a lot on her plate, but her entire world revolved around one person: her daughter. Two-year-old Mackenzi was the apple of her mom's eye, and the two of them went everywhere together.
Protecting Her Girl
The Houston mother tried to give Mackenzi the best of everything, though she knew she couldn't protect her from all the dangers in the world. The girl couldn't live her life in a bubble; there had to be small risks. One began with a phone call from a friend.
Dog Sitting
In 2014, Chelsi got word that a pal of hers was going on vacation and needed a good dog-sitter. Would she be up for it? Well, Chelsi figured it would be a good way to help out her friend and spice up an otherwise ordinary week.
High Expectations
Because toddlers are in need of endless entertainment, Mackenzi got quite excited when she heard about this new pup. She was a dog lover herself, though this particular variety wasn't universally appreciated.
A Certain Breed
Chelsi's friend owned a pit bull — a breed unfairly maligned and stereotyped as attack dogs. But the Texas mom had only ever gotten friendly responses from this dog, so she wasn't the least bit worried.
Sniffing All Over
However, something changed when the pit bull first came in contact with Mackenzi. Its carefree expression gave way to one of concern. The dog tensed up and sniffed the young girl.
A Threatening Scent
The canine then responded with a growl. In hindsight, Chelsi figured that her friend's pit bull must have smelled her own dog on Mackenzi. But the mom had no time to put that connection together when the animal pounced.
An Unprovoked Attack
Transforming into an almost unrecognizable beast, the dog went after her two-year-old. This was no rough playing either. Terrified, Chelsi saw that the pit bull was going for the kill.
A Desperate Rescue
Its teeth and claws were already all over her screaming daughter, and Chelsi realized she had to shield her little girl. Hoping she wasn't too late, the mother flung herself on the dog. Chelsi didn't even have a plan.
Fist of Fury
Fortunately, that was when instinct took over. To stop the pit bull from mauling her daughter, Chelsi actually shoved her entire fist into the snarling mouth. She barely felt the lacerations on her hands and arms at the time.
Girl in Distress
While wresting the pit bull for control, Chelsi jerked her head toward her daughter. Her face was so torn up, that her own mother could hardly make out her features. She told Mackenzi to lie facedown so she wouldn't choke on her own blood.
Willing to Do Anything
Still, Chelsi knew that would only buy them a little bit of time. They had to somehow get away from this mad pit bull and contact emergency personnel. The mom had both her hands full, so she got inventive.
Jaws of Life
Chelsi had to overpower the dog in language that it would understand. So, channeling her inner Mike Tyson, Chelsi lunged forward and sunk her teeth into the canine's ear. The mother pulled with all of her might.
Once Bitten, Twice Shy
Chelsi tore the dog's ear right off. As the whimpering mongrel retreated, she called 911 and hoped her daughter hadn't lost too much blood. Both of them, in fact, were in pretty dire shape.
Saving Two Lives
Mother and daughter underwent emergency surgery. The pit bull went right for Mackenzi's face, so it took the best doctors to stitch her back up. That brave little girl had weeks of recovery ahead in the ICU.
A Difficult Recovery
Meanwhile, Chelsi temporarily lost the use of both arms. She said it was tough to not be able to hold her daughter in the hospital, but had no qualms about intervening in the attack. "I would do the same thing with a human being," she explained.
Reunited at Last
Following a number of procedures, Mackenzi finally was ready to go home. Her mom lifted her up for the first time in months, and both of them came away with a greater understanding of how much they needed each other.
Bouncing Back
"She's a strong little girl and a fighter," Camp said. "She's meant to be here." It was no surprise that she loved her daughter even more, but others were curious how the encounter affected Chelsi's view of dogs.
Canine Conceptions
Somewhat surprisingly, Chelsi still loves dogs more than ever. Though she would undoubtedly be more careful when bringing Mackenzi around larger dogs, she deemed the attack a freak occurrence. After all, there are much greater dangers lurking closer to home than we think—a quick look at the evening news can tell you that much. That's how Chelsi learned of Trent Tweddale's story.
A Morning Stroll
Trent and his dog, Loki, thought it was just another ordinary day when they went for a stroll on their Wesley Chapel farm. But, out-of-the-ordinary events were lying just ahead. Considering Florida's climate is, as we all know, hot and muggy, little Loki dipped his toes in the nearby creek to cool off. What's the harm in that, right? Well, that's when things turned south.
Scales and Teeth
The six-year-old rescue pooch couldn't have been happier, that is until something grabbed him from below the water's surface. With its bony scales and jagged teeth, the monster appeared out of nowhere. Trent was in a state of shock.
Gators Attack
"The dog had his front paws in the river here that swelled after all the rain, and the dog was attacked by a gator,” Trent told WFLA-TV. Yep, that's right: an alligator. It's practically Florida's mascot.
Without Hesitation
An enormous gator, about 13 feet long, pulled little Loki into the water. The former Army staff sergeant didn't hesitate and snatched the dog's collar. The little brown-and-white pup, with a black spot over his left eye, was Trent's pride and joy, who he'd do anything to save.
Tug-of-War
“I grabbed the dog’s collar to try to pull him back, and I ended up in a tug-of-war match with this gator, and the gator was not letting go,” he said. Trent and the gator were neck and neck, with Trent literally trying to keep the reptile from gnawing on Loki's neck.
Trusting His Gut
Trent realized he was getting nowhere, and tugging on Loki's collar could potentially choke the pup. Trusting his gut, Trent let the collar go before leaping into the water. It was time for Plan B.
Throwing Punches
“So I let go of the collar, and I got about knee-deep into the water and started pounding on the gator’s head until he eventually let go," Trent continued. He had no other choice.
A Miracle
It was a miracle that the feisty reptile let go at all. Alligators have a chomp measuring 2,125 pounds per square inch (psi) of force. For reference, humans have an average bite measuring just 150 pounds per square inch of force.
A Rough Aftermath
If Trent hadn't acted so fast, well, Loki might've been chopped meat. With a jaw that strong, it's an absolute marvel that didn't happen, but Loki didn't exactly escape scot-free.
A Living Nightmare
While Trent was lucky enough to get out with only a few scratches, the poor canine's front leg was nearly severed. He underwent emergency surgery, which felt like a nightmare.
Hanging by a Shred
“When I pulled him back up, the bones were out and it looks like the arm was just hanging by a shred,” Trent explained. It was a particularly horrific sight for the dog dad, who considers Loki his family.
Plates and Screws
Loki's emergency surgery was very Frankenstein-esque. “They put metal plates and screws in and were able to reconstruct it that way. We’re hoping that he can regain full use of his paws after this," Trent said.
Way of Nature
This catastrophe, as you could imagine, affected Trent deeply. While you can look it as simply nature's way, predator versus prey, the hierarchy of the food chain... that wasn't enough for Trent. He was angry.
Revenge Mission
Trent made it his mission to catch the gator in question. He wouldn't rest until he captured Loki's reptilian attacker, even setting a gator trap in the swampy area where the incident occured. Still, he needed help.
A Chunk of Meat
With the aid of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Trent dangled a chunk of meat above the water's surface to entice the creature. He hoped the scaly guy would leap up, snatch the bait, and set off the trap.
Sacrificing his Own
But Trent didn't exactly use a spare filet mignon as bait. “The trapper did not have any bait, so I grabbed one of my roosters and we used him as bait for the trap. We haven’t had any luck yet,” he admitted. R.I.P.
Fighting Tooth and Nail
“We love our dog a lot and I’d fight tooth and nail for him," Trent said of his rescue pooch. Seeing innocent Loki with a giant cone around his neck and a powder blue cast wrapped around his leg motivated Trent to catch the alligator. Though they both left the situation relatively unscathed, Trent couldn't help but be shaken. Through his flood of emotions, the strongest feeling was of deep gratitude. He knew how much worse things could have gotten.
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