Mom Dies After Having Arms Ripped Off Trying To Stop Pit Bull From Attacking 4-Year-Old Son

A mom of two from Wisconsin died after having her arms ripped off by a pit bull she was trying to stop from attacking her 4-year-old son, Damion. Heather Pingel, 35, was savaged by the animal at her home in Bowler on December 8 and succumbed to her injuries soon after. Now, she’s being hailed as a “hero” for sacrificing her life to ensure her son would be okay.

  1. Heather’s partner found her on the bathroom floor when he returned home. As Heather’s sister Shannon Pingel told the Wausau Daily Herald, the boy’s father Shane Bernarde “got home to find [Heather] lying on the bathroom floor. She said, ‘I have no arms, and I’m dying.'” She was still fighting off the dog at the time and Bernarde was bitten before pulling the animal off her. He said he took the dog out to the yard and shot it.
  2. It seemed like she might pull through at first. Heather was taken to a local hospital where she spent a week attempting to recover from her injuries. She had to have both of her arms amputated and suffered kidney failure in the aftermath of the attack. However, she was unable to tell authorities exactly what happened before she passed away.
  3. The little boy received 70 stitches on his leg. The dog had bitten the boy on the leg quite seriously, but after receiving stitches for his injuries, he was released from the hospital and was expected to make a full recovery.
  4. The dog had allegedly shown signs of aggression in the past. Heather’s sister Shannon said that the dog had been aggressive in the past but that Heather was reluctant to give the animal up. “My sister has the biggest heart for animals and just couldn’t get rid of it. … Her heart was too big, and they thought they could fix him,” she said.
  5. It’s hard to know exactly what set the dog off. When Shane returned home, Heather at first told him that Damion had fallen down the stairs. Shannon believes that may have had something to do with why the dog attacked. “The dog was always kinda skittish when loud noises happen, so we are guessing Damion fell down the stairs and was crying and might have even kicked up towards the dog, and the dog grabbed his leg and Heather did everything she could to save her son,” Shannon told the Wausau Daily Herald. A GoFundMe has been set up to cover funeral costs and help the family during this difficult time.
Piper Ryan is a NYC-based writer and matchmaker who works to bring millennials who are sick of dating apps and the bar scene together in an organic and efficient way. To date, she's paired up more than 120 couples, many of whom have gone on to get married. Her work has been highlighted in The New York Times, Time Out New York, The Cut, and many more.

In addition to runnnig her own business, Piper is passionate about charity work, advocating for vulnerable women and children in her local area and across the country. She is currently working on her first book, a non-fiction collection of stories focusing on female empowerment.
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