EXCLUSIVE
A cleaner who was brutally mauled by a dog while working in a suburban home was saved by brave traditions who pelted it with stones and a rubbish bin and by police who tased the ‘aggressive’ animal.
Lynda Dowell, 52, came to a house on Warburton Street in Condell Park, in Sydney’s south-west, shortly before 1pm on Tuesday to do some cleaning when she was suddenly attacked by the homeowner’s pet.
The dog, believed to be an American Pit Bull Terrier, bit her chest and limbs – and wouldn’t let go.
A group of tradesmen working nearby heard Mrs Dowell scream and rushed to save her from the terrifying attack. They threw what they had at their disposal – a bin and rocks – at the dog before police arrived on the scene and subdued him with a Taser.
Mrs Dowell was taken to Liverpool Hospital in a serious but stable condition, while the dog was removed from the scene by dog handlers.
It has since been euthanized.
Lynda Dowell (pictured) was mauled by a dog while cleaning a property in Sydney’s south-west on Tuesday
Dog handlers are pictured removing the animal from the property on Tuesday
Ms. Dowell is a mother and animal lover herself, with her social media accounts full of photos of her dog, Marshall, and cat, Bella.
“Sending you lots of love and strength auntie,” her niece Kiara wrote online.
“I hope you recover quickly!”
Disturbing footage from the scene showed two officers standing behind a wall as onlookers shouted at them to take action.
“It’s got to stop now, you gotta get her out of there, mate,” shouted a tradie watching from behind a fence.
Seconds later, a shot rang out as one of the officers fired a Taser. The animal then started barking as someone shouted, “Where’s the ambulance?”
Emergency services arrived a short time later.
Witnesses said a group of heroic tradesmen ran from their neighboring workplace to try to help the stricken woman.
“Two tradesmen actually came over and helped, but they couldn’t stop the dog that attacked the woman,” neighbor Peter Burzynski told the Daily Telegraph.
One of the men who ran to the woman’s aid, who identified himself only as Mohamad, said he fought desperately to free her from the dog’s attack.
“I started throwing rocks at it, I threw a crowbar at it, threw little concrete slabs at it, threw a garbage can at it and the dog wouldn’t move. He continued to sit on the ground and (maul the woman),” he said.
‘That dog shouldn’t appear in public, especially not a dog like that. We all have children, it could have been any of our children, it could have been our mothers, our wives, anyone.”
Mrs Dowell suffered ‘multiple bites’ to her chest and arms during the terrifying attack
The woman, aged in her 30s, was taken to Liverpool Hospital in a serious but stable condition (pictured: dog being taken)
A NSW Ambulance spokesperson said ‘several crews attended the scene’.
“They assessed and treated a woman in her 30s for multiple dog bites to her chest and extremities,” the spokesperson said.
‘She was subsequently transported to Liverpool Hospital in a stable condition.’
A City of Canterbury spokesperson, Bankstown, said: ‘Following an assessment of the dog it is clear he could not be rehabilitated and has since been euthanised.’
A NSW Police spokesperson said: ‘At approximately 12.50pm today (Tuesday 6 February 2024), emergency services were called to Warburton Street, Condell Park, following reports of a dog attack.
‘Bystanders tried to intervene before police from Bankstown Police Area Command fired a Taser to stop the attack.
‘A woman was treated at the scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics and taken to Liverpool Hospital in a serious but stable condition.’