At a Glance
- Amanda Mears, 42, had her leg amputated after her pit-mix Dennis mauled her on Dec. 10
- She broke up a fight between Dennis and rescue dog Ralphie inside her Tennessee home
- After 12-plus surgeries and chronic-pain risk, she chose amputation
- Why it matters: a split-second dogfight decision left a healthcare worker re-learning daily life and raising safety questions for pet owners
A routine walk turned life-changing when Amanda Mears intervened in a dogfight and her own pet redirected its bite, crushing bone and ending her ability to walk unaided.
The Attack
Mears was about to leash Dennis, an American Pitbull-American Staffordshire mix she had bottle-raised from two weeks old, when rescue pup Ralphie slipped out of a bedroom. The dogs clashed; Mears stepped between them.
> “When he charged at my other dog, Ralphie, I got in between them, and that’s when Dennis latched on to my leg and would not let go,”
> Amanda Mears told The Mirror.
Adrenaline masked the damage: Dennis shredded her leg, crushed her left-hand bones and fractured her right arm. She strangled the dog unconscious to break the bite, then told her 10-year-old son to stay put while she phoned 911.
Life-Altering Choice
Surgeons offered a two-year, 12-surgery plan to save the limb, but Mears opted for amputation to escape constant pain. A friend’s GoFundMe update says she is now discharged, “up and mobile with help to use the restroom” and awaiting a prosthetic fitting.
Recovery hurdles remain:
- Cannot yet navigate stairs alone
- Right-hand injuries complicate her return to work
- Daily tasks require another adult present
> “The house is getting easier by the day,”
> Mears wrote on Facebook Dec. 29.
Aftermath & Decision on Dennis
Though she calls Dennis “the sweetest dog” with no prior aggression, Mears authorized euthanasia to protect her child.
> “It was a decision that hurt, but it was not a difficult decision,”
> she explained.
Key Takeaways
- A momentary dogfight led to a permanent disability for a veteran pet owner
- Mears chose amputation over multiple risky surgeries
- She stresses responsible pet supervision even with trusted animals
- Fundraising continues for prosthetic and rehabilitation costs
