Woman kills pit bull as it attacks her toddler daughter
An attack by two dogs Sunday night in Pico Rivera left a mother and her 1-yearold daughter injured, and the woman stabbed to death one of the animals to save her child.
Deputies received a call at 10:18 p.m. reporting a dog bite in the 9600 block of Homebrook Street, according to Los Angeles County sheriff ’s spokesperson Miguel Meza.
Authorities said at least one of the dogs — described as pit bulls — bit the toddler when she started crying. Family members tried to pull the dogs off, the toddler’s grandmother, Margaret Ann Morales, told ABC-TV Channel 7.
“I walked into the kitchen, and that’s when I saw my two daughters and my son on the floor trying to get the dogs off,” she told the station.
The toddler’s mother, Jamie Morales, told KTLATV Channel 5 that the dog had her daughter by the leg. Jamie Morales said her face was bitten and her hands cut as she tried to free her daughter.
“I had to stab the dog ... I had to,” Jamie Morales told the station. “It was either him or my daughter, and I chose my daughter.”
Both pit bulls were stabbed during the attack, and one of them died at the scene, authorities said.
The Southeast Area Animal Control Authority also responded to the scene and took the surviving dog into custody, sheriff’s officials said. Representatives from the agency were not available for comment Monday.
Pit bulls were responsible for 67% of all fatal attacks by dogs between 2005 and 2020, even though they make up
‘I had to stab the dog ... I had to. It was either him or my daughter, and I chose my daughter.’
— Jamie Morales
about 6% of the U.S. dog population, according to the website DogsBite.org. They were also 48% more likely than other breeds to attack without provocation and are responsible for a disproportionate infant fatality rate, the organization said.
Authorities said Jamie Morales and her daughter were taken to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center. The child underwent surgery for injuries to one arm and upper shoulder.