A tragic and horrifying attack has left a woman fighting for her life after two pitbulls mauled her while she rode her bicycle. The victim, Janelle Scott, has undergone multiple limb amputations and faces the possibility of further surgeries as she struggles to recover.
The incident occurred on the night of September 9 in Okmulgee, Oklahoma. Scott and her boyfriend were riding to a friend’s home when the friend’s pitbulls escaped and attacked. Separated in the chaos, her boyfriend was initially unable to help but managed to stop one dog when it turned on him. The attack happened near a trailer where Scott’s friend lives, close to a homeless encampment.
“She was heading up through a wooded area when the dogs came out. She knew the dogs, and they knew her,” Scott’s mother, Cheryl, told KOKI-TV. Earlier that evening, the friend’s trailer had reportedly been broken into, possibly allowing the dogs to escape.
By the time authorities arrived, Scott had suffered devastating injuries. “After seeing her arm, she knew she was going to lose it,” Cheryl said. “She could see the bone, barely hanging on by tendons. It was just so bad.”
Scott was airlifted to Tulsa St. Frances Hospital, where surgeons first removed her right arm and leg. Tragically, they were forced to amputate her left arm and leg as well. “That was especially hard because she’s left-handed,” Cheryl said. Doctors have scheduled further surgery to preserve enough muscle for prosthetics, giving hope that Scott may regain some mobility.
Cheryl has turned to the public for support, sharing her daughter’s plight on GoFundMe: “I pray that her body has the strength for more surgery. Please keep her in your prayers—I truly believe in the power of prayer. Thank you.”
Scott’s friend, who owns the dogs, was reportedly in jail at the time, and the person left in charge of the pitbulls was issued a citation following the attack.
Janelle Scott and her family now face an unimaginable road ahead. Our thoughts and prayers are with her as she fights to rebuild her life.
