Oklahoma Woman Severely Injured in Dog Attack

A woman from Oklahoma underwent amputations of both her arm and leg following a dog attack earlier this month, during which her boyfriend was also injured.

Janelle Scott was biking with her boyfriend on September 9 when a pit bull unexpectedly charged at them in Okmulgee. The aggressive dog knocked Scott off her bike, prompting her boyfriend to drop his bike and rush to her aid. Unfortunately, the pit bull then turned its aggression toward him, according to reports.

Another pit bull was present, but authorities could not find any evidence linking it to the attack. The Okmulgee police later revealed that both dogs belonged to a man who was being watched by friends of Scott’s in a nearby trailer that day. It was noted that the trailer had reportedly been tampered with recently, possibly allowing the dog to escape.

“To reach where a friend lives, you have to navigate through wooded paths. I think he lives in a trailer or something like that. So, when the dog appeared and attacked her, she recognized it, and it recognized her,” Scott’s mother, Cheryl, explained.

First responders found Scott with severe injuries. She was quickly transported to the hospital, where she has remained since the incident. Cheryl expressed shock at her daughter’s resilience throughout this ordeal.

Initially, Cheryl feared that Scott would only lose her right arm, as it had been severely injured. However, due to the extent of the injuries, both her arm and legs were amputated last Friday. According to a recent update on their GoFundMe page, Scott might face additional amputations moving forward.

Despite these hardships, Cheryl mentioned that her daughter is determined to fight through her recovery, even as doctors have discussed removing more of her limbs. “Every day she had to endure surgery, it was hard. I thought, ‘How much more can they do?’ When she lost all her limbs, I thought, okay, her body will heal,” Cheryl said.

“We believe she’s a strong woman and has a purpose. I’m confident she will make it through this,” she added.

Scott’s next steps involve evaluating the remaining limbs to determine if there’s enough muscle to support prosthetics. This week, their GoFundMe was set up to help manage the rising medical expenses.