Iowa mom Brittany Skoland loses legs, needs facial reconstruction surgery after being mauled by three pit bulls: family

An Iowa mother lost both her legs, parts of her hands and will need facial reconstruction surgery after she was mauled by three pit bulls last week, her family said.

The dogs pounced on Brittany Skoland around 11:30 a.m. Nov. 24 outside her home in Fort Dodge, a city 100 miles northwest of Des Moines.

Police were called after a neighbor reported hearing “someone yelling for help.”

“The officer attempted to scare the dogs away to stop them from attacking the woman, but the dogs would not stop,” Chief Dennis Quinn said in a statement.

With no other option, the officer fired at the animals, killing all three.

Skoland was rushed to a nearby hospital, but her injuries proved so severe that she was airlifted to the Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines, known for its verified adult trauma center.

“Brittany has lost a lot more then we originally thought, She’s had many surgeries and procedures in the last few days,” her aunt Teresa Hanus wrote in an online fundraiser.

“She has had both legs amputated to her knees and parts of her hands. She is going to need facial reconstruction surgery, she also has serious head trauma and much more.”

The devastated family plans to use the raised funds to make Skoland’s home wheelchair accessible.

“If you know Brittany you know her life is to be outside doing yard work, helping her mom decorate for holidays, and walking/playing with her younger children,” Skoland’s friend Jayden Louise Johnson wrote on Facebook.

Police are still investigating the mauling, but have not filed any charges.

While some shocked neighbors said the pit bulls were typically obedient to their owner, others claimed they’ve had problems with the dogs in the past.

One resident told KCCI it took several rounds to finally subdue the attacking animals.

“I was sitting in my living room, and I was just sitting there and all of a sudden I heard bang bang bang, and I come to the door and I seen all the cops, well there was only one at the time, and I seen the lady laying on the ground and the dogs going at her and the cops shot them. And it was quite a few rounds of ammunition to get them down,” Rosemary Possehn said.