SPRINGFIELD, IL -- Two pit bulls may have chewed up her body, but they didn’t seize Harmony Dawdy’s spirit, according to her mother, Amber Dawdy.
Four days after the dogs nearly mauled Harmony to death — coming within a millimeter of her femoral artery — Amber Dawdy said Harmony’s vital signs are strong, she’s alert, and she’s even managed to laugh.
“She’s in really good spirits considering everything that’s happened to her and all the pain that she’s going through,” her mother said. “She’s refusing to quit and continues to be as happy as she can be.”
Dawdy said the two pit bulls shredded Harmony’s left leg, left gaping wounds on her right leg, ripped part of her ear off and bit nearly every inch of her young body.
Doctors have performed three surgeries and a blood transfusion because Harmony’s kidneys started shutting down, Dawdy said, and the section of her ear that was gnawed off had to be reattached.
Another four surgeries could be in Harmony’s future, Dawdy said.
Now, not letting the dogs attack any other kids is paramount for Dawdy.
“The owners of these dogs need to consider how they would feel if something like this happened to their child, “ she said. “I hope these dogs get put down so this doesn’t happen again.”
Harmony is in the pediatric intensive care unit of St. John’s Hospital.
Effects unclear
The long-term effects, including Harmony’s ability to walk again, remain unclear, she said.
“It’s going to take a long time to get there and a lot of physical therapy,” Dawdy said. “Her right leg is going to recover pretty good, but the other leg is in such bad condition that we don’t know.”
The incident occurred in the 1200 block of West Jefferson Street. The two dogs are currently being held by Sangamon Animal County Control.
Dawdy said she has a different version of the attack than the report a neighbor gave to The State Journal-Register Tuesday.
The two pit bulls that attacked Harmony were contained in a kennel and were not provoked by several boys throwing rocks, Dawdy said.
Harmony was playing outside with a about 10 other children when the dogs escaped underneath the kennel. Harmony, who her mom said loves dogs, wanted to pet them.
When the dogs began growling, Harmony attempted to run away, but fell. That’s when the dogs jumped on her, Dawdy said.
Response
One dog focused on Harmony’s upper body, while the other chewed on her legs, Dawdy said. The dogs dragged Harmony about 15 feet to a nearby woodpile and continued their assault, she said.
The response from neighbors is what Dawdy mostly disputes.
She said one neighbor hit the dogs with a metal object, but her 8-year-old daughter Justice’s actions were the main reason Harmony is alive.
“She had a clear enough mind to come find me while everyone else was standing around,” she said.
Dawdy said she pulled one of the dogs off Harmony and punched the other dog, which stunned it for a second. A man who was nearby grabbed the second dog, she said.
She was bitten on the arm by one of the dogs, Dawdy said.
Once the dogs had been pulled away, Dawdy said she rushed Harmony to St. John’s Hospital in a neighbor’s vehicle.
(State Journal Register - June 15, 2011)
