WARNING: This story contains graphic details some readers may find disturbing. Reader and viewer discretion is advised.
SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. -- A woman was taken to the hospital for surgery after dogs attacked her at her Spotsylvania County home, according to a Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson.
Deputies responded to the dog attack, along the 900 block of Stonewall Lane, at about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Memories of a horrific attack still flood Danny Canter’s mind.
“I can’t get the sound of her screaming; I can’t get the images of her wounds out of my head,” said Canter, who helped stop the attack.
Canter says he jumped in after seeing a dog maul a woman outside of her Spotsylvania home.
"All I was thinking was, there's a lady on the ground getting mauled by a dog. I have a better chance than she does," said Canter.
Reporter Brendan King and Danny Canter.
Canter says nearby landscapers just couldn’t free the woman, who neighbors tell me gave birth just weeks ago.
“I noticed her arm was really chewed up and bleeding really bad, the dog was on her leg and he was shaking the leg, tearing it up,” said Canter. “In my opinion, it looked like she had been attacked by sharks, it was so bad looking.”
Canter says he grabbed the dog around its mouth and yelled for it to drop it before it finally let go.
The badly injured woman managed to crawl into the home for safety. The woman was rushed to the hospital and underwent surgery. Her condition has not yet been released.
Spotsylvania deputies say they arrived to find two dogs on the property, one who lunged at a deputy. Officials say the dog attacked a deputy, causing significant injury to his upper leg area. The dogs were ultimately shot by the responding officers, in order to end the attacks.
“I saw them shoot one and I couldn’t look at the other one go down,” added witness Linda Mentiply.
Canter, who describes himself as a dog lover, says the deputies did the right thing.
“It was chaotic, there were people everywhere the cop did what he had to do,” he added.
The dogs, believed to be of the Cane Corso breed, were taken to the emergency animal hospital where they died. The sheriff's deputy was treated and released from the hospital. An investigation into the situation remains ongoing.
This is a developing story. Witnesses can send news tips, photos, and video here.
