Juliana de Oliveira died aged 25 after she was mauled by her own pit bull, with neighbours and her partner unable to prize her from the grip of the dog she treated ‘like a son’
A woman who was mauled to death by her own pit bull spoke about the killer pooch “like a son” before it killed her in her back garden, one of her friends has said.
Juliana de Oliveira’s dog inflicted horrific injuries on her arms and abdomen during a vicious attack in Vila Industrial, in Campinas, Brazil, on December 23. Military Police confirmed the 25-year-old owned the dog that had rounded on her, leaving her so injured that attending paramedics pronounced her dead soon after arriving at the scene.
It has now emerged that the mum-of-one gushed over the violent dog, with a friend saying she had spoken about it “as if it were her own child”.
READ MORE: Sickening photo of pensioner after he’s attacked while walking his dogREAD MORE: Cruel puppy farming that keeps breeding dogs in dire conditions to be banned
Speaking to Globo.com, the friend said: “She talked about that dog as if it were her own child. She worried a lot precisely because it was a pitbull.
“People are judging her a lot because of where she lived, because it was a humble place, but she never mistreated the dog. Quite the opposite. She didn’t have the temperament to be aggressive or impatient.”
The attack was reported after a neighbour called Civil Police, telling officers she woke up to hearing her screams, and attempted to stop the attack using an iron bar before it was restrained by her husband.
But Ms Oliveira, who was with her eight-month-old daughter at the time, did not survive her injuries. The young child was not injured in the attack. Her friend described Ms Oliveira, who worked at a bakery, as an “amazing person” and dedicated mum who devoted herself to her family.
They said: “She was an amazing person, truly. Not just because she was my friend. She loved her family, and her little daughter even more. They were a beautiful family, and she always tried to take very good care of them.”
Ms Oliveira’s colleagues have also come out in force to heap kind words on the young mum, with one saying in a social media post that she was “very nice”.
The friend added that she would “never forget” working with her, describing her as “very nice” and “happy”. She said: “My friend, may God receive you with open arms.
“I loved knowing you, and it was a great pleasure. You were very nice, you were happy. Our moments together at that bakery were good, moments I will never forget. Go with God.”
Police are now investigating Ms Oliveira’s brutal death, with Lieutenant Nicoly Gonçalves of the Military Police saying the service plans to send the animal to Campinas’ Department of Animal Protection and Welfare.
