Woman, 73, mauled to death by pet pitbull 'she treated like her child'

Jeriline Brady-McGinnis, 73, was gruesomely killed by her dog in her own home - and two Boston police officers were also reportedly injured as they tried to handle the dog

A woman who treated her pitbull like her child was mauled to death by the dog in her own home as her desperate husband tried to separate them.

Jeriline Brady-McGinnis, 73, was gruesomely killed by her dog in the Roxbury area of Boston yesterday. Her husband and two Boston police officers were also reportedly injured as they tried to handle the dog. All four were rushed to the hospital, but Mrs Brady-McGinnis, described as having a heart of gold, died in surgery, her friend Jean McGuire told WBZ News.

“She got attacked some way and they ripped her arm,” Ms McGuire, 93, said. “She’s very close to her animals, almost like children, I think. She took good care of them. She walked them every day.”

Authorities said the pet dog was shot, and later put down by Boston Animal Control. The two police officers and Mr Brady-McGinnis had non-life threatening injuries. The couple's neighbours say they were afraid of the four dogs in the home, saying they had too many pets in the home.

Mrs Brady-McGinnis’ family remembered her as someone who had a “heart of gold.” Last week the Daily Mirror reported how a mum was left horrified when her daughter returned from a play date covered in blood from a dog attack has hit out after the beast was allowed to live.

Danger Dogs - our demands

The Mirror is calling for these changes:

1. The overhaul of the Dangerous Dogs Act . An urgent review of the law is needed and tougher penalties should be considered.

2. Enforce the rules to stop the illegal and irresponsible breeding and selling of dogs.

3. A public information campaign to promote the importance of responsible dog ownership and the need for training.

Rosie Dempster, aged 5, was savaged by the pit bull-type beast while she was playing round at her friend’s house on September 11. The out-of-control dog ripped into the little girl’s face, resulting in wounds to her mouth, eye and ear as she played on a swing in the garden of the family home in northern Glasgow.

Mum Gillian Dempster recalled the sickening moment her daughter was returned home to her, with blood pouring from her wounds. The 40-year-old said: "Rose appeared at the door with her wee pal's mum and I almost collapsed at the sight of her. She was covered in blood.

"I screamed, but I must have been in shock because I immediately went into survival mode and took Rose inside and phoned an ambulance. The woman told me the dog had jumped on her but she didn't say anything about it biting her or anything.

"But Rose told me the dog escaped from the house and charged towards her. Then it pinned her down and clamped it's jaws on her head. She was shaking and just kept repeating that the dog had bitten her. I started to wipe the blood off her face but I saw that her ear was hanging by a thread."