Mother fatally stabs pit bull attacking her baby: ‘It was either him or my daughter’

‘I feel really bad but I had to,’ says mother for stabbing two pit bulls who started attacking her daughter

A California woman stabbed two pit bulls, killing one of them, after they reportedly attacked her one-year-old daughter at their home in Pico Rivera.

Authorities said the incident occurred around 10.30pm on Sunday when the dogs ran into the kitchen where the toddler was with her grandmother.

The child’s grandmother, Margaret Morales, said one of the dogs jumped on top of the toddler and started attacking her, reported KTLA.

Jamie Morales, the child’s mother, said she fought off the dogs to protect her daughter.

“I stabbed him [one of the dogs] to get him off of my daughter. It was either him or my daughter and I chose my daughter. I did what I had to do because he wouldn’t let go,” she was quoted as saying to Fox11.

“I feel really bad but I had to. I’m pretty sure anyone would have done it.”

Ms Morales was bit in the face and arm in the process and required care at a local hospital.

She said one of the dogs died after being stabbed.

Ms Morales, her daughter, sister and their mother were all injured in the attack.

Authorities said the second dog will be put down after Sunday night’s incident.

“He had my granddaughter by the leg and when I tried to pull him off he bit my hand,” said the child’s grandmother describing the incident.

“The dog got her in the leg, her ankle and shoulder. Right now she’s at LAUSC hospital and from there she’s going to go to the ICU. She’s strong,” she added.

The family said the dogs had been in their home for around four months and had not showed any aggressive behaviour prior to Sunday night’s incident.

They said while the dogs stayed in the backyard, they had come inside the home at the time of the attack.

“The dogs are good dogs. We just had them bathed yesterday. I was asleep and my daughter heard the commotion,” said Margaret Morales.

In a statement, Pico Rivera mayor Monica Sanchez offered her condolences to the family.

“Like many others this morning I was horrified and dismayed at the news of the unprovoked attack on a one-year child by a family’s pit bulls… I’d like to extend our deepest condolences to the family and best wishes for a swift recovery for the child and injured members of the family,” the statement said.