Garbutt: Young woman whose arm was bitten off by her monster pit bull is identified as neighbours reveal dog was ‘hungry for blood’

A young Australian woman whose monster pit bull savaged the lower half of her arm in a horror mauling has been identified. 

Annmarie Walters, 34, from Garbutt, a suburb of Townsville in northern Queensland,  was viciously attacked by her ‘large breed pit bull’ on Friday.

Paramedics discovered Ms Walters with a severed forearm, with her injuries described as potentially life-threatening.

Police had to shoot the pit bull in order to save her. The 34-year-old was recovered with the hope that surgeons will be able to reattach it.

It comes as neighbours on the quiet residential street reveal the ‘mongrel’ had attacked two other people in recent months.

Neighbours Dale Butler and Rachel Fraser had been visiting the 34-year-old when the dog attacked when they were at the front door. 

He said the pit bull was barking and trying to get to out of the house and Ms Walters was trying to push it back.

‘It just grabbed her arm. It must have been hungry for blood… it was locked on,’ Ms Fraser told the Townsville Bulletin. 

 ‘It was a very severe, very catastrophic injury,’ Queensland Police District Duty Officer Senior Sergeant Scot Warrick said (Ms Walters is pictured on a stretcher)

Mr Butler said he picked up a knife and attempted to stab the dog through the screen door, before spraying it with a hose.

He said the dog eventually released Ms Walter’s arm.

Mr Butler said he told his neighbour she needed to get rid of her dog after it ‘ripped up two fellas’ in the last three months, including her husband.

Resident Corey Geesu said he was attacked by the same dog two weeks ago and spent multiple nights in hospital as a result.

He has been left with several large scars over his right forearm, and believed the dog should have been taken away earlier. 

He said it was lucky the pit bull hadn’t attacked any children. 

Queensland Police District Duty Officer Senior Sergeant Scot Warrick said a tourniquet wrapped around the woman’s arm ‘might have saved her life’.

‘It was a very severe, very catastrophic injury,’ he said.

A Townsville University Hospital spokesman said on Saturday Ms Walters (pictured) remained in a ‘serious but stable condition’

The sergeant added police had ‘no choice’ but to euthanise the pitbull.

Ms Walter’s dog was shot dead by police after Townsville City Council animal control officers advised it could not be safely removed from the house.

‘I know people will be very upset by that,’ Snr Sgt Warrick said of the dog’s death.

‘But we had no other option.’

‘I’ve been a police officer 37 years, this is the first time I’ve seen something like this severe,’ he said.

A Townsville University Hospital spokesman said on Saturday Ms Walters remained in a ‘serious but stable condition’.