A pregnant woman was attacked by dogs in Tacoma, Washington, and bitten several times in an incident that police say happened in the morning. The attack drew a quick response from people nearby, who stepped in to help her as the situation unfolded.
According to police, the attack came on the woman's due date. What should have been one of the most anticipated days for her family instead turned into a frightening emergency, heightening concern at the scene as those around her realized how serious the situation was.
The woman was bitten several times during the attack. The injuries she suffered underscored how dangerous the encounter had been, and how quickly an ordinary moment had turned into a medical emergency for an expectant mother.
Neighbors were credited with taking quick action to help. Those nearby moved in to intervene and stop the attack, stepping up at a critical moment when the woman was unable to protect herself from the dogs.
That rapid response was widely seen as crucial. Given that the woman was on her due date, those who helped were acutely aware that the outcome could have been far worse, not only for her but for her baby, had no one intervened so quickly.
After the attack, the focus turned to getting the woman the medical care she needed following the bites she had sustained. The episode left those in the area shaken, coming as it did on a day that was supposed to bring joy to the family rather than fear.
Authorities have continued to look into the circumstances of the incident. Further details about exactly how the attack began and what will happen next were expected to emerge as the investigation proceeds and officials piece together a full account of what occurred.
In a significant update days after the attack, more details emerged about the severity of what the woman, identified as Renee Wilson, had endured. She was mauled by two pit bulls and suffered bites to her arm, leg, thigh, head and even her belly. Because of the puncture wounds to her abdomen and the risk of infection, doctors induced her labor, and she gave birth to a baby boy who is reported to be doing well and has since been released from the hospital.
Wilson herself, however, has remained hospitalized as her recovery grew more complicated. She was diagnosed with cellulitis and then with MRSA, a contagious infection that forced her into isolation, with interviews now conducted by video call rather than in person. Her sister has been caring for the newborn and a neighbor who helped rescue her has been looking after her small dog, while Wilson, in considerable pain, has said she is grateful to be alive and thankful to the neighbors who came to her aid.