Tragedy befell a Tennessee family Wednesday when their dogs turned on their infant children, hospitalizing the mother as she fought to try and save their lives.
Emergency responders arrived on the scene in Shelby County, TN shortly after 3:30 pm Wednesday to find that two-year-old Lilly Jane and five-month-old Hollace Dean had died after the family pit bulls Cheech and Mia had mauled the children. Their mother, Kirstie Jane Bennard, 30, reportedly spent over 10 minutes fighting off the dogs, suffering severe injuries resulting in her being hospitalized in critical condition at nearby Regional One Health in Memphis.
Fox News Digital spoke with Bennard’s friend Kelsey Canfield who said, “I can promise you those children were her world, and if there was any inkling of danger, she would have never had those dogs near her kids. Those children were everything to them, and they just have a really long journey ahead.”
“That attack lasted longer than any one of us could have ever imagined,” Canfield added and it was explained that Cheech and Mia had been pets of Bennard and her husband Colby for over eight years without incident.
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office reported that Bennard’s status had been updated from critical to stable as of Thursday and further stated, “The two pit bulls responsible for the attack were euthanized this afternoon by Memphis Animal Services,” adding the investigation was ongoing.
UPDATE: SCSO detectives report that the mother has been upgraded to stable condition at Regional One Health. The two pit bulls responsible for the attack were euthanized this afternoon by Memphis Animal Services. This is still an active, ongoing investigation.
— ShelbyTNSheriff (@ShelbyTNSheriff) October 6, 2022
“She was initially confused. She’s awake now,” Canfield told Fox News Digital, “and she’s aware [of what happened].”
Bennard’s husband’s uncle, Jeff Gibson, posted to Facebook how she had received an “uncountable amount of stitches and bite marks over her entire body including her face. Both arms and legs are bandgaed/wrapped up completely.”
“As of now it looks like there isn’t any permanent damage other than a heart that will never heal,” Gibson went on, adding Bennard “is a f*cking hero! This attack lasted over 10 minutes, and she never gave up trying to save these babies. Now all of us, family and friends, have to rally around both of them and show them how much they are loved . I don’t know if there can be a healing process but hopefully we can ALL find a way to cope with this tragedy.”
Of the children, Canfield had said they “worshipped each other” and that, “They were perfect, they were beautiful.”
Bennard’s sister also commented asking for privacy, “It was not just a loss to my sister but to me as well. That was my niece and nephew.”
Others spoke out after the tragedy including Bennard’s friend Stephanie Chipman who wrote, “This girl has been a part of my life and Memphis family since I moved to Memphis! To say that I am at a loss for words and my heart is and has been breaking since I found out is an understatement. Just in absolute shock. Praying so so so hard for the good Lord to hold you and your family tight and help make your way through this. Here for you always and love you so much!”
A friend of Hollace and Lilly’s grandmother started a GoFundMe on behalf of the family and after less than a day it had already exceeded the goal of $20,000 with just over 350 donations.
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Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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