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An Australian woman is fighting for life in hospital after her arm was bitten off by her own dog in north Queensland.<\/p>\n
Emergency services were called to a house in the coastal city of Townsville around 07:00 local time (22:00 BST) on Friday, where a 34-year-old woman had sustained “life-threatening” injuries.<\/p>\n
Her right arm had been severed below the elbow, but the detached part was retrieved by paramedics before she was rushed to a local hospital. She is in a serious but stable condition. <\/p>\n
Police say they had “no other option” but to shoot the dog dead at the scene.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
In a press conference, Senior Sgt Scott Warrick said police had arrived to find the woman bleeding heavily outside the house and the dog, believed to be a pit bull, inside.<\/p>\n
“It was very angry, very aggressive… [it] was still trying to get outside.”<\/p>\n
Some officers barricaded the house while others applied a makeshift tourniquet to the woman’s arm and gave first aid until paramedics arrived.<\/p>\n
“I’ve been a police officer for 37 years… this is the first time I’ve gone to such a serious injury as a result of a dog attack.<\/p>\n
“The injuries to this lady are just absolutely awful and we wish her a speedy recovery,” Sgt Warrick told reporters. <\/p>\n
He added that the dog was euthanised on the advice of animal control officers.<\/p>\n
“I have dogs, and to see an outcome like this is absolutely heartbreaking, and we do understand people will be upset… but we were left with no other choice.”<\/p>\n
A second smaller dog was found uninjured at the scene and is being cared for by the RSPCA.<\/p>\n
Two neighbours told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation the dog involved in the incident was known for being aggressive – with one showing them scars where he said it had previously attacked him.<\/p>\n
Sgt Warrick said police may have been contacted about the dog before, but added that his team, the RSPCA and local council are all still looking into the specifics.<\/p>\n
It comes a day after another attack in a Melbourne backyard, where a woman was critically injured and the three dogs responsible shot dead by police. <\/p>\n
Local media have reported that two of the dogs were bulldogs and the third was a pit bull.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n