Lugarno dog attack: Tragedy as Jack Russell Indi dies after her and owner were mauled

A Jack Russell who was mauled by ferocious dogs despite her owner’s heroic efforts has tragically passed away at a veterinary clinic.

Indi was rushed to the vet’s intensive care unit after she and her owner Elle Booth, 34, were attacked at 9am on Sunday by two Irish wolfhounds in Boggy Well Creek, in Lugarno in southern Sydney.

Ms. Booth stood with her neck in the mud for 20 minutes in a desperate attempt to save Indi before police arrived and pepper sprayed the wolfhounds.

Family friend Tess Hutchinson announced Tuesday morning that Indi had passed away overnight during emergency surgery.

“Unfortunately, Indi passed away last night due to three heart attacks during surgery,” Ms Hutchinson said.

“She fought to the end and was such an incredibly brave little pup who will forever be loved by many.”

Mrs. Booth and Indi were walking along the path when they were attacked by the two dogs, who were being walked by another man.

The pair ran into the muddy creek for shelter, where they spent about half an hour fighting off the vicious dogs until they were rescued by police armed with pepper spray.

Ms Booth was rushed to St George Hospital after injuries to her face, neck, arms, hands and legs, while Indi was rushed to a vet with critical internal injuries.

Her husband Tom Dale told Daily Mail Australia Ms Booth underwent surgery on her hands and forearm on Monday and is now recovering.

The couple had recently moved to the area to give their pets woodland trails to explore when the tragedy unfolded on Sunday.

Ms Hutchinson said Ms Booth bravely tried to protect Indi after the two aggressive dogs started biting her.

“Indi, overcome with fear, darted toward the river in a desperate attempt to escape the relentless onslaught,” Ms Hutchinson said.

“The dogs chased, followed by Elle and the man who walked these dogs. Indi was forced to leave the mangroves and enter the mudflats. The bigger dogs caught Indi again and pinned her under the mud for a while.

Without hesitation, Elle charged after Indi into the mangroves, giving up her own safety in her relentless determination to save her faithful companion.

“In a heroic act, Elle managed to pull Indi from the clutches of the attacking dogs, but not without suffering serious injuries herself.”

Mrs Hutchinson said the man walking the dogs blew a whistle and the dogs paused, with Mrs Booth taking the opportunity to go further into the mud as she desperately tried to protect her companion from further harm.

But when she went back to the shore and the forest path, the man was nowhere to be seen – and she realized she was all alone.

“For 20 minutes, Elle stood in the neck-deep mud holding Indi overhead, trying to clear Indi’s airways of mud and continuing to keep the bigger dogs at bay,” Ms Hutchinson said.

Emergency services then arrived on the scene after a family on the other side of the dike saw the incident happening and called for help.

Conditions were so treacherous that the officers who came to the rescue of Mrs. Booth and Indi also got stuck in the mud.

Mr Dale said his wife was ‘brave as hell’ and he was ‘so proud of her’.

‘He [the man] yelled at Elle for Indigo to stop running away, as it turned his dogs on. He tried to stop them, but they were out of control,” Mr Dale said.

“He followed Elle to the mangroves and when he saw his two dogs tearing Indi up ahead in the mud, he turned and ran.

“Elle went out to save Indi. She initially assumed he was going to call for help, but he actually just left.’

Ms Hutchinson said the event changed the couple’s lives “forever” and filled them with “sadness, heartbreak and unspeakable pain”.

She launched one GoFundMe who surpassed his goal of $25,000 — the cost of Indi’s vet bills — within hours.

Ms Hutchinson, who said on Monday there was no guarantee Indi would survive the surgery, shared her appreciation for everyone who has rallied to support the couple.

She said that while Ms. Booth suffered serious injuries herself, her concern and focus since the attack has been on Indi’s well-being.

“We want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has donated, sent kind words and kept both Elle and Indi in mind over the past few days,” she said.

“Elle has sustained serious physical injuries and will have a long road to recovery, not to mention the emotional damage sustained.”

Following the attack, the Irish wolfhounds were confiscated by Georges River Council from a house in Peakhurst and are believed to have been culled ever since.

In a statement on Monday, a spokesperson said Georges River Council recognizes that incidents like this are deeply distressing to everyone in our community.

“We can confirm that Council staff worked with police that day to locate and seize the dogs and will continue to co-operate with police during the investigation.

“Residents are reminded to practice responsible pet ownership to ensure the safety of our community and the well-being and safety of their pets by always walking their dogs on a leash, unless in an authorized off-leash area.”

The council would not confirm whether the dogs have been euthanized, saying: “As this matter is now under investigation, the council cannot comment further.”