The woman, 54, was not identified, but Westwego Police Chief Dwayne "Poncho" Munch said Thursday the dogs tore part of her scalp off and caused bites deep enough to expose bone.
The three dogs that mauled her, plus a fourth pit bull in the home, were shot dead by police officers.
"She has serious injuries to her head, her arms, her torso, basically from head to toe," Munch said. "It's the worst dog bite I've ever seen in 25 years of police work."
A neighbor called police about 3:30 p.m., Wednesday, reporting that the woman was being mauled inside her home in the 300 block of Avenue A, Munch said. The man said that when he tried to enter, the dogs tried to attack him, too.
Three officers arrived and were greeted similarly, Munch said. "They could hear the woman screaming in the house," Munch said. "They saw all three dogs biting her."
An officer shot and killed one of the dogs as it charged them when they opened the door, the chief said. A second pit bull turned on the officers, too, and it was shot and wounded, causing it to retreat to an igloo-like kennel in the home, Munch said.
The officers then shot the third dog mauling the woman. A fourth dog was in the house, so officers dragged the woman out to the front porch, Munch said.
That dog attacked an officer, who used is Taser in response.
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| Linda Henry is now recovering from her injuries |
"That didn't work," Munch said. That dog "was on the attack and had to be shot by another officer."
The dog that retreated to the kennel later died, Munch said, adding that one of the dogs recently had puppies.
With police escorts, Westwego's EMS rushed the woman to LSU Interim Hospital in New Orleans, where she underwent surgery, Munch said. He declined to release the woman's name until her family was notified.
Munch said the woman lived at the home with her boyfriend.
(The Times-Picayune - March 14, 2013)
