Two Oregon Children Witness Mom Being Fatally Mauled By Dog

Two children in Oregon witnessed a brutal and fatal attack on their mother by a pit bull mix dog, which was later shot dead by an officer.

The incident happened on Sept. 24. Amber LaBelle, 42, was in her Myrtle Point apartment when the canine attacked her. According to the Coos County Sheriff’s Office, the dog belonged to a Springfield woman but was in LaBell’s apartment because a man named Jeremy Robertson, who was taking care of the canine, brought it over, KOIN reported.

Robertson left LaBell’s apartment that morning to run an errand and locked the dog in a bedroom. After he left, LaBelle’s ex-boyfriend, Josef Dieckman, brought over their two children for a visit, the report said.

At some point, LaBelle opened the door to the bedroom and was mauled by the dog. Her two children, aged 8 and 5, witnessed the incident.

One of the children ran to neighbors and was able to get help. A neighbor was able to pull the dog off LaBelle while another pulled her away.

When responding officers arrived, the dog tried to pull away from the neighbor and attack LaBelle. One officer then shot and killed the dog, according to the report.

Coos County District Attorney Paul Frasier said the 120 pounds dog had a history of violence. Officials believe that it attacked two children in Springfield in July. LaBelle did not know about the dog’s violent past.

"There is no way, even if she was watching it, that she would've voluntarily and knowingly allowed a vicious dog, a violent dog, into her space not only with the kids there but around herself," Dieckman said to KEZI in an interview.

LaBelle was airlifted to a hospital in Springfield. She succumbed to her injuries Saturday. The incident is still being investigated. On completion, it will be decided if any criminal charges need to be filed.

Last week, a 70-year-old man from Alabama was fatally attacked by a pit bull. The dog was present near the victim when police arrived. The victim was taken to a hospital, where he later died. The officers tazed the canine, but, it eventually escaped. They launched a hunt for the dog, which was later found dead from being struck by a vehicle.