An Italian woman died after getting viciously attacked by her brother’s dog as she tried to feed the animal, according to local authorities.
Patrizia La Marca, 53, was fatally attacked by a Rottweiler in Ventimiglia, Italy while feeding the dog while her brother was on vacation. The attack occurred on Wednesday afternoon, April 5, and when emergency responders arrived on the scene, they found La Marca with bites to her head, chest, shoulders, and arms.
The first responders rushed the 53-year-old woman to the hospital by helicopter, but she later succumbed to her injuries.
Neighbors heard the commotion in the home, found La Marca in a pool of blood, and called emergency services. Responding officers shot the dog when they arrived, injuring the animal, which is now under the control of judicial authorities in a kennel.
Emergency responders described the attack as gruesome, saying the victim had pieces of her body torn away. One worker told reporters that she had never witnessed such a scene. Local authorities launched an investigation into the fatal incident, but it is uncertain whether the dog will be euthanized.
The attack occurred two days after an incident in Kelty, Fife, Scotland, where 16 lambs were killed, and another four were injured after being attacked by at least one dog. Six lambs were found dead, while the other ten were so severely injured that they had to be put down. Scottish Land and Estates has urged dog owners to keep their pets on a leash while walking them near farmlands.
