Dogs have long been called man’s best friend, however, our four legged companions were once wild creatures. As a result, they are still capable of inflicting huge amounts of damage when provoked.
For years, a dog lover worked hard to dispel rumors that pit bulls were violent and dangerous dogs and used her sweet, gentle pit bull as a prime example of their kind nature. However, she quickly changed her tune when her constant companion suddenly snapped one day.
A Pit Bull Advocate
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For most of the past 10 years, a Florida woman was a huge advocate for pit bull breeds. She acknowledged they were extremely strong animals capable of inflicting harm, but she truly believed that the breed wasn’t inherently dangerous. Instead, she believed it came down to how the dogs were raised.
Nature vs. Nurture
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If the dog was raised in violent conditions and trained to be aggressive, the dog would likely be dangerous. However, the woman genuinely believed that pit bull breeds were perfectly safe dogs to own if they were raised in loving homes by owners that cared for and trained them properly. According to the woman, her own dog was living proof.
Living Proof
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More than 10 years ago, Yasmin Adam brought home a tiny pit bull mix puppy that she named Sir Hinkles. They bonded instantly, and Sir Hinkles was a constant source of love and companionship. And when people told Adam that pit bulls were dangerous, she used Sir Hinkles as a prime example that pit bulls could be amazing pets.
A Gentle Companion
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“I didn’t even have to put him on a leash because he was such a good-natured dog,” Adam told The Daily Mail. “I loved him so much. He slept with me in my bed, he never was out of line. He was always so gentle with children and really friendly. He never snapped at cats or little kittens, he never touched a kitten.”
The Big Move
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However, that all changed when Adam moved to Florida. During the move she stayed with a relative. Of course, her three dogs accompanied her. Then, on December 5, 2016, Adam was home alone with her dogs when they started to play fight each other.
The Fight
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Without thinking, Adam, who was 43 years old at the time, went to break up the fight. However, when she did, Sir Hinkles turned and suddenly started barking at her. “I guess there was tension after the other dogs were fighting,” Adam said.
The Attack Begins
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“Next thing I know he jumps up and bites my ear,” Adam said. “Sir Hinkles went back in his cage then. … But all I can think of was that he got a taste of blood because he came right back out and bit me on my right arm.”
Complete Shock
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According to Adam, she knew that Sir Hinkles was attacking her, but she strangely couldn’t feel any pain at the time because she was in shock. At first, Adam desperately tried to get her pit bull to stop attacking her. She thought that he would realize who he was attacking, but that never happened.
Losing Hope
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Adam failed to push Sir Hinkles off of her and none of her screams and commands stopped him. So for the next nine minutes, Sir Hinkles viciously attacked Adam and tore the flesh from her arms, body, and face. In that moment, Adam truly thought she was going to die.
Nine Endless Minutes
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“After that, he attacked me on and off for nine minutes. The dog ripped all the meat off my lower left arm, and that’s gone now,” Adam recalled. “I just stopped fighting the dog. I figured I was going to die. He kept trying to pull the bone out of my arm.”
A Horrific Discovery
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Adam likely would have died that December afternoon if it wasn’t for her 17-year-old nephew. According to officials, the 17-year-old came home late that afternoon and found his aunt on the ground. She was laying in a pool of her own blood and Sir Hinkles was still mauling her.
The 911 Call
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“It’s attacking her right now, it’s killing her,” Adam’s nephew screamed at the 911 emergency operator. “She’s screaming right now, it’s chewing her arms.” While the 17-year-old described the scene, the operator could hear Adam screaming in agony in the background.
Help Arrives
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“What do you want me to do?” the teen repeated frantically during the 911 call. “Let her go!” he screamed at the dog. Shortly after, first responders arrived at the apartment. Sir Hinkles was still gnawing at Adam’s bones, and they could hear her agonized screams from outside.
A Sickening Sight
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“They get there and they can hear the attack,” Maj. Rick Rocco, a spokesman of the Lauderhill Police Department, told The Sun Sentinel. “They open the door and the officer sees the woman on the ground in the living room being attacked by the dog.”
Lethal Force
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According to officials, an officer tried to strike Sir Hinkles and get him to stop attacking Adam, but it did nothing. “That didn’t work, so she tried her pepper spray,” Rocco said. “That didn’t work [either], so finally she had to resort to her firearm and shoot the dog to get it off of the woman.”
Critical Condition
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Police quickly dragged Adam out of the apartment and closed the dogs inside. They would have to carefully get the dog out, but their first priority was getting Adam to the hospital as she was in critical condition. After being rushed to Broward Health Medical Center, she underwent immediate surgery to treat her various injuries.
Fighting for Her Arm
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After surgery, Adam was still in critical condition. Over the next three weeks, doctors at the hospital worked as hard as they could to save her arms. However, by the third week, it was clear that Adam’s left arm, which sustained the most damage during the attack, couldn’t be saved. “It was the most painful thing I’ve ever experienced in my life,” Adam said.
The Only Way Forward
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“I could see the bone clear as day,” Adam remembered. “Eventually, they amputated it from just above my elbow … I’m just working on getting my right arm functional again. He ripped that arm apart too, but not as badly. I can’t move my wrist and I have limited movement in my fingers. To be honest I thought I was going to die so to have just lost my arm I feel lucky.”
The Dogs’ Fate
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In the aftermath of the attack, authorities euthanized Sir Hinkles, who survived being shot. Adam ended up staying in the hospital for the next six months while she was recovering from the attack. During that time, her two other dogs were put down. Adams was sad that she couldn’t save them, but she also didn’t trust them after what happened.
An Important Warning
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After the attack, Adam decided to share what happened to her with the public to warn them about how dangerous pit bulls can be. “I loved Hinkles, I had him for nine years but he turned on me in nine minutes. Now I warn people against these types of dogs.”