Much to her relief, Underwood said she recently learned that the dogs, since put down, tested negative for rabies.
“I guess I didn’t give them rabies at least,” Underwood joked.
Although she laughs now, Underwood said the attack was hardly humourous at the time.
“It seemed like it happened so fast after the first dog that I really don’t know when the other two came in,” Underwood said.
Taking a walk on High Lake Road, as she does most nights, Underwood said she noticed the first dog outside the fence across the street. Underwood said she had seen at least one of the dogs before but that it was never aggressive and always in the yard.
Underwood said she stopped so as not to encourage the dog but then it came closer and began to bark.
She tried to move toward the porch of a house but the dog ran forward and bit her leg. The dog continued to bite as Underwood screamed for help and tried to get to her cell to dial 911. From the same yard, a second dog ran out and began to attack her, knocking her phone away in the process, Underwood said.
At that point, Underwood said she remembers being on the ground trying to get away when one of her shoes came off and she began hitting the dogs on their heads with it while still screaming. A third dog joined in at about the time a woman in a red Ford Explorer passed by and began honking her horn.
That caused one of the dogs to stop attacking, Underwood said. Some children heard Underwood’s screams and ran to get their mother and grandmother, who came out with a baseball bat to chase the dogs away before calling 911.
“No, I didn’t know them before,” Underwood said. “But I’d say both are my best friends now.”
Underwood said she later heard that the woman in the truck didn’t get out because she is afraid of dogs.
“I can’t say I blame her,” Underwood said. “But I wish I knew who she was because I’d really like to thank her. She and [the other two] really saved my life.”
The other two women stayed with her, Underwood said, bringing her a blanket and water while they waited for sheriff’s deputies and rescue workers to arrive.
A CareFlite helicopter flew Underwood to Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth were she spent several hours and received 12 stitches.
“Four in my arm, two in my elbow and the rest in my leg,” Underwood said. “I’m doing better, but my main problem now is my left leg, which I’m still going to need a skin graft and therapy for.”
Underwood said she does not know if the owners of the dogs received any citations or charges. JCSO Lt. Tim Jones said Tuesday that no charges were filed against the owners since they submitted the dogs for rabies testing.
“The ironic part, I guess, is that I had a pit bull who was 12-years-old and had just passed away two days before,” Underwood said. “And he was nice as could be and never turned on anyone.”
Underwood added that she posted video of her injuries on YouTube.com under the title Bites from 3 pit bulls, but warned that the video is extremely graphic.
(Cleburne Times Review - Oct 27, 2011)
(YouTube video)