Kirstie Bennard: Mom of toddlers mauled to death by pit bulls spent 'over 10 minutes' trying to save children
SHELBY, TENNESSEE: Two young children, a two-year-old girl and a five-month-old boy were mauled to death by their pit bulls. Their mother, Kirstie Jane Bennard, 30, was also attacked while she tried to protect her babies from the pets but she is now fighting for her life in the hospital. The family's dogs started aggressively assaulting the children on the afternoon of October 5 and she spent "over 10 minutes" trying to save her children. The reason the animals grew hostile overnight is still unknown. The attack took place in the $360,000, five-bedroom home on Sylvan Road in Millington, Tennessee, a suburb of Memphis, on Wednesday, Oct 5 at around 3.30 pm.
Jeff Gibson — an uncle of her husband Colby Bennard — wrote on Facebook how the mother-of-two has "uncountable" stitches and bite marks all over her body, including her face and that both of her "arms and legs are bandaged/wrapped completely." “Kristie is a f**king hero!” he wrote on Facebook. “She never gave up trying to save these babies.” Bennard's injuries, according to Gibson, won't result in "any permanent damage, other than a heart that will never heal." According to another family acquaintance, Debbie Harvey, the mother is still in the hospital and is in a "critical condition," as stated by Daily Mail. After being mauled by the dogs, Bennard and Colby's infants Hollace Dean Bennard and Lilly Jane Bennard were confirmed dead at the scene. The specifics of the funeral have not yet been disclosed but Harvey has stated that a candlelight vigil would soon take place. Colby runs a Harley-Davidson store in Memphis, he was uninjured in the vicious attack by the dogs. Colby and Bennard have been married for five years.
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There are still more facts to be revealed about how the tragedy played out. The pets, Cheech and Mia, were a part of the family for more than eight years without a violent incident, Kelsey Canfield, a friend of the mother relayed to Fox News Digital. Canfield who also visited Bennard in hospital, shared her friend "was initially confused. "She's awake now, and she's aware [of what happened]," she added. Eight years ago, Colby had posted a picture of their two pit bulls on Facebook and referred to the dogs as "house lions."
NBC reports that the sheriff’s office tweeted that the two pit bulls responsible were euthanized Thursday on October 7 by Memphis Animal Services. To help the family "get back on their feet," a friend of the family created a GoFundMe campaign. Within two hours of going live, it raised $7,500 of its $20,000 goal and has now crossed the goal.