- Woman mauled by dog in Condell Park building
- ‘Aggressive’ animal has now been put down
EXCLUSIVE
A feral dog that mauled a female cleaner in a suburban home was a rescue animal that had only recently been adopted.
Lynda Dowell, 52, came to a property in Condell Park, in Sydney’s south-west, shortly before 1pm on Tuesday to do some cleaning when she was suddenly attacked by the property owner’s pet.
Despite initial reports that the dog was an American Pit Bull Terrier, Ms Dowell’s niece Kiara said the aggressive animal was a French Mastiff.
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
The dog bit Ms Dowell repeatedly on the chest and limbs, while a group of nearby traders rushed to her rescue after hearing her screams.
The men threw a trash can and rocks at the dog before police arrived and suppressed claims it was a Taser.
Mrs Dowell was taken to Liverpool Hospital in a serious but stable condition, while the dog was removed from the scene by council staff and subsequently euthanised.
Ms Dowell’s niece Kiara said Ms Dowell has since undergone surgery to restore blood flow to her arm.
“The dog was a rescue dog that the lady had only had for a few weeks,” she told Daily Mail Australia.
‘(My aunt) is extremely traumatized by the attack and it will be a slow recovery time.
“She’s lucky to be alive.”
Mrs Dowell suffered ‘multiple bites’ to her chest and arms during the terrifying attack
Despite initial reports, the dog was an American Pit Bull Terrier, the aggressive animal a French Mastiff
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, 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 little could be done to help Mrs Dowell until police arrived.
“Two traffickers actually came over and helped, but they couldn’t stop the dog that attacked the woman,” said neighbor Peter Burzynski.
One of the men who ran to the woman’s aid, who identified himself only as Mohamad, said such dangerous animals should not be allowed.
“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.”