>
A New York teenager nearly lost her leg when one of her family’s eight “protective” pit bulls suddenly turned on her and began to viciously “tear up” her.
16-year-old Lexie Beebe was brutally attacked by 18-month-old American pit bull terrier Southy, who clamped his jaws on her so hard that she could hear his teeth grinding over her bones.
Before the attack, Southy was trusted with protecting the family home and even slept in her bed.
On the fateful night, Lexie had been in her bedroom with friends when she sniffed downstairs alone and came face to face with Southy who suddenly grabbed her throat.
Lexie Beebe, 16, is photographed in hospital after her pit bull attacked her leg in a sudden attack that nearly killed her
The teen managed to turn away to protect her neck, but the animal sank its teeth into her leg and ripped out her flesh and muscle.
After hearing Lexie’s screams, her mother Ryan Beebe, 43, and stepfather Zachary Wagner, 30, ran to the bottom of the stairs where they found blood on the floor and ceiling and flesh scattered on the carpet.
Lexie was still in the jaws of the dog that she said had bitten her leg so deeply that she could hear his teeth grinding against the bone.
Machinist Zachary tried to pry Southy’s teeth apart, but was forced to strangle the dog until it let go of Lexie’s leg.
He used a belt as a tourniquet to keep Lexie from losing blood, which the doctors say probably saved her life.
Before the attack, Southy even slept in her bed and he was entrusted to protect the family home
Lexi’s leg is pictured after surgery when doctors managed to save her limb after six hours of surgery
Stepfather Zachary Wagner (pictured), 30, used a belt as a tourniquet to keep Lexie from bleeding
The high school student was rushed to hospital by ambulance and taken straight into a six-hour operation where doctors attempted to reattach muscles and ligaments but warned her family that they may not be able to save her leg.
Lexie said, “It was a normal Sunday morning. I was hanging out with friends. I went down pretty quickly, opened the baby gate and as soon as I opened it there was the dog, there was a little growl and he jumped at my throat at first but I turned around fast enough for him to grab hold of my leg.
‘It was really bad. He hung on my leg. At some point I lost feeling, but at first I could feel everything. I was very shocked. The doctors were totally amazed that I remained conscious because I was losing a lot of blood.
“He was on my leg for about 30 seconds, but he did so much damage it was insane.
The pit bull, who has since been euthanized, pressed his jaws on her so hard she could hear his teeth grit
The family owned eight pit bulls at the time of the attack, but Southy was knocked down by animal control the next day
After hearing Lexie’s screams, her mother Ryan Beebe, 43, and stepfather Zachary Wagner, 30, ran to the bottom of the stairs (pictured together)
“My stepdad, thank goodness he was home, tried to pry his jaw open, but he had to strangle it almost completely to get it off, and then he took it away from everyone.
“I looked away because I didn’t want to see any of it, there was blood on the wall, ceiling and pieces of flesh everywhere.
“It was definitely the scariest day of my life.
“Before the attack, we thought the dogs were our protectors and we never imagined they would ever do such a thing.
“We thought they would take care of us and that’s why it was such a shock when it happened. After the attack, we thought the others wouldn’t protect us anymore.
“I had a dog sleep with me every night because it made me feel safe.”
Stay at home mom Ryan added: ‘I heard a sickening scream for help and then I heard a dog barking so my first thought was there was a dog fight. Never in a million years did I think one of my kids was torn apart.
The high school student was rushed to the hospital by ambulance and immediately underwent a six-hour operation
Lexie says the wound is healing well, but she doesn’t have much feeling in her lower leg (pictured with her grandfather after the attack)
“I ran out and my fiancée had wrapped her legs in towels. He told me not to look, but of course I looked.
“As he moved the towels, I could see the flesh of her leg and muscle on the floor. I thought I was going to pass out, but my little girl was sitting next to me.
“It occurred to me that I would lose her. I have never seen such an injury in my life. I didn’t want her to bleed to death.
“They didn’t know if they could save her leg, but we were thankful they could save her.”
The family has had pit bulls for ten years and had raised Southy since he was 11 weeks old, so they were in shock after he bit Lexie.
They owned eight pit bulls at the time of the attack, but Southy was put down by animal control the next day, and Ryan has since pushed for the rest to be rehomed out of fears that they might kill one of her younger children, Maddox, eight, and Ryan, three. can attack. .
The family has had pit bulls for ten years and had raised Southy since he was 11 weeks old, so they were in shock after he bit Lexie (pictured with another of the family’s pit bulls, right)
Lexie says Southy was different from the other dogs her family owned in that he was more relaxed, but he had never shown any signs of aggression and played with three-year-old Ryan shortly before attacking her.
Lexie said, ‘We got him when he was 11 weeks old. We’ve had pit bulls for a long time. He was a little different from the others, he was a little different, but we still loved him. He wasn’t aggressive, he was just relaxed and didn’t want to cuddle.
“I never thought he would do this, he never growled. He slept with my little brother, that was his favorite person. I was so surprised, the day he attacked me, he played with my little brother before it happened.
“I was devastated that he hurt me, but I knew he had to be put to sleep. I have two little brothers and if it had been them they wouldn’t have survived.
“We threw all seven away. We were scared and done with the race.’
Lexie says the wound is healing well but she has little feeling in her lower leg and her little toe is paralyzed from nerve damage.
She defied the doctor’s expectations by being able to walk again so soon and will undergo physical therapy, as well as a second surgery in April that will remove fat from other parts of her body to fill the holes in her leg.
The family set up one Go fund me to help cover travel to and from the hospital and other expenses.