A COLLEGE student has been mauled to death by a vicious pack of pit bulls she was pet-sitting.
Madison Riley Hull23, was killed in the backyard of a Texas home on Friday afternoon.
The Smith County Sheriff’s Office responded to a neighbour’s 911 call, but the dogs had already pounced on Hull, KYTX reported.
When police arrived to the Tyler home, they saw Hull lying on the ground in the back yard.
When one officer attempted to help the teaching student, the dogs turned on him, according to WTOC-11.
Smith County Sheriff Department’s public information officer Sergeant Larry Christian told the outlet that when the three dogs “diverted their attention” to the attending officers, they were forced to act.
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“All three of them started coming towards [an officer] and he un-holstered his service weapon and fired at one of the dogs,” Sergeant Christian said.
The dog died from the gunshot injury.
The sound of the gun firing scared away the remaining pair, allowing cops to get Hull out of the backyard.
Sadly, she died a short time later from her injuries.
The deputy officer who shot the dog sustained minor injuries and was being treated at the local hospital, according to WFAA.
Hull’s mother, Jennifer Hubbell, was distraught when she learned of her daughter’s tragic death.
“I just dropped to my knees,” she said.
“I am shattered in a way I didn’t know a human being could break.
Described as being “love, light, kindness and laughter”, the heartbroken mum said Hull had “loved life with her whole heart and moved through the world with a free spirit that lifted and guided her”.
Hubbell said her daughter had noted a change in the dogs just prior to the horrific attack.
“She said that they hadn’t always been that way,” the devastated mother said.
Hull, an experienced dog-sitter and animal lover, had previously babysat the family‘s children for weeks on end.
Hubbell said her daughter thought looking after the family’s dogs “would be an ok situation”.
It’s unknown whether Hull was also looking after the children when she was brutally attacked.
The sheriff’s office said the dogs’ owners had been out of town at the time of the horrific ordeal.
Hull had been just six months away from finishing her bachelor’s degree at the University of Texas.
She had chosen to specialise in early childhood education, inspired by her younger brother’s experiences growing up with autism.
“Her K-3rd grade students adored her,” Hubbell said.
“She had a gift for making every child feel safe, special and loved.
“Madison’s heart was made for that work,” she added.
Hubbell launched an online fundraiser in memory of her daughter, and has garnered huge support from the community.
In just three days, more than $13,500 has been donated.
A court hearing for the surviving pit bulls has been scheduled for Wednesday, November 26.
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The investigation remains ongoing.