Woman attacked by three dogs in her Central NY home; police shoot one dog

A woman was attacked by several dogs in a home in Central New York, Cortland City Police said.

According to police, two 911 callers reported that a 42-year-old woman was attacked and bitten by three dogs in an apartment at 160 Main Street in Cortland on Sunday. The woman suffered serious injuries to her head, chest, shoulders and arms, police said.

Officers used pepper spray to deter the dogs from attacking them, police said. When the spray had no effect, an officer shot the most aggressive of the three dogs, which deterred all three animals from biting the female victim.

According to police, two dogs were taken to a bedroom and isolated, while the third, fatally wounded by the gunshot, was taken separately to the kitchen.

Officers placed tourniquets on both upper arms and applied hemostatic dressings to two wounds on her shoulder and chest to stop the bleeding. She was also cared for by paramedics from the Cortland Fire Department and TLC Ambulance.

The woman was taken to Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse, where she underwent several surgeries. Her condition in the hospital’s intensive care unit is critical but stable, police said Monday.

The three dogs involved in the attack were taken to Country Acres in Homer, NY. The dog that was shot succumbed to his injuries and the other two dogs are under quarantine.

The woman was not identified.

Further details, including possible causes for the dog attack, were not disclosed. It is unclear whether the woman was the owner of the animals.