A Wisconsin mom was thanked in a horrific way, after refusing to send an “aggressive” pitbull to the shelter, fearing the dog would be put down. But not long before she was able to commit one last heroic act, the animal ripped the woman’s arms off, leaving her fatally injured. And after she suffered injuries from a dog attack, the Wisconsin mother died.
The incident happened at Heather Pingel’s home, a 35-year-old Wisconsin stay-at-home mother-of-two, she shared the house with her longtime boyfriend and their sons. And while Damion Bernarde, her son and Heather were home, the attack then happened. Heather’s 5-year-old daughter, Carmen Bernarde, was at school, and the children’s father, Shane Bernarde, was at his brother’s home.
That afternoon, when Shane got home, he said that Heather was in the bathroom with the door closed, telling him that Damion had fallen down the stairs and she had no idea where he was. After Shane found the boy in the living room, he went back to the bathroom and discovered the horrifying incident, the family’s pit bull was attacking Heather.
Shane told officers he grabbed the dog and pulled it outside, grabbed a pistol, and shot the dog, according to the police report. Shane was bit by the dog, as well.
When officers arrived shortly before 3 p.m., they found Heather on the bathroom floor, struggling to breathe and unable to speak. Damion was sitting in a chair in the living room with a severe injury to his leg, the report said. The dog’s body was found outside the home, they added.
The mother, father, and son were rushed to the hospital in an ambulance. Heather suffered from kidney failure following the attack and both of her arms were amputated, among other health issues.
Heather’s sister Shannon said, “We don’t know how long she was in there fighting him off,”
“Shane got home to find her lying on the bathroom floor. She said, ‘I have no arms and I’m dying”
The only person who knew what exactly happened was Heather, but she was unable to communicate with either her family or the cops, said Shannon. But the family believes they know what provoked the dog to attack.
“The dog was always kinda skittish when loud noises happen, so we are guessing Damion fell down the stairs and was crying and might have even kicked up towards the dog, and the dog grabbed his leg and Heather did everything she could to save her son,” Shannon said.
Since a majority of the attack happened in the bathroom, they believe Heather found the dog, who outweighed her by at least 30 pounds, attacking her son and struggling to get it away from her son and into the bathroom, Shannon said.
According to the police report, the incident was not the first time the family’s dog had shown signs of aggression, but Shannon said Heather had a fondness for animals and couldn’t toss the pet aside.
“My sister has the biggest heart for animals and just couldn’t get rid of it … her heart was too big and they thought they could fix him,” Shannon said.
Unfortunately, days after she was taken to the hospital, on December 17, 2021, she died due to her injuries, but the boy is now back home, though he has about 70 stitches on his leg.
The grieving sister recalled, “She is the bravest, strongest mother I know to do that for her child; she risked her life to save him,” calling Heather “a hero.”
Sources: Taphaps, Wausaudailyherald, DailyMail