A mum is fighting for her life in hospital after her two-month-old baby boy and two-year-old daughter were mauled to death in a horror dog attack. Kristie Jane Bennard, 30, desperately tried to save son Hollace Dean and daughter Lilly Jane from the pet pit bulls during a 10-minute struggle on Wednesday afternoon.
It is not yet known what caused the animals to turn violent at the family home in Shelby County, Tennessee. The paretn is currently in "critical" condition in hospital, the Daily Star reports.
Relative Jeff Gibson shared in a Facebook post that the Kristie has an "uncountable amount of stitches and bite marks over her entire body, including her face" and that both her "arms and legs are bandaged/wrapped up completely". He added: "Kristie is a f**king hero! She never gave up trying to save these babies."
Bennard's husband and the children's father Colby - a Harley Davidson dealership manager - was unharmed by the dogs.
The pitbulls were seized by officers following the attack and taken to a local animal control department. It is unknown whether they have been put to sleep.
A GoFundMe page has been launched by a family friend to help Kristie and Colby "get back on their feet". In the first nine hours since going live, more than $17,000 (£15,300) has been donated through the appeal.
Colby posted a picture of two pit bulls on Facebook back in 2014, referring to them as "house lions". However, has not yet known if they were the same animals responsible for the attack, which happened inside the family's $360,000, five-bedroom home.
The investigation into the attack is ongoing and it is unclear whether criminal charges will follow.
In a Facebook post, Kelsey Gallini, Kristie's best friend, asked for "prayers", adding that "everyone in her circle could really use that".
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