Mother Stabs Family Dogs While They Attack Her Baby

A California mother stabbed her family’s dogs while they were attacking her 1-year-old daughter in their home on Sunday.

Firefighters responded to a call about a dog attacking a 1-year-old girl, as well as the girl’s mother and grandmother and a fourth unnamed victim, who was also injured. The baby has been identified as Ruby Ann Cervantes. The mother and grandmother are Jamie Morales and Margaret Morales, respectively.

The attack began around 10:30 p.m. when one of the pit bulls ran into the home, jumped on Ruby and started attacking her. The second pit bull ran in seconds later and began attacking Ruby as well while her mother and grandmother tried to get them off of her. 

Jamie grabbed a knife and started stabbing the two dogs, killing one of them in order to free her daughter.

“I stabbed him to get him off of my daughter. It was either him or my daughter and I chose my daughter. I did what I had to do because he wouldn’t let go,” Morales said. She added that anyone in her position would have done it as well.

Ruby sustained injuries to her shoulder, hip, legs, and ankles and was rushed to a trauma center at LAC + USC Medical Center for treatment. She has undergone surgery and is scheduled to undergo a second operation for a fractured hip.

Ruby’s mother sustained injuries to her lip and part of her face close to her eye during the attack.

One of the pit bulls bit Margaret’s hand and Ruby’s aunt was injured as well.

The family said that the dogs had not shown any signs of aggression before Sunday.

The surviving dog is scheduled to be euthanized.

Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control shows that every year 4.5 million people sustain injuries from dog bites and half of those victims are children.