PORTLAND, Ore. — A Portland mother of two is fighting for her life in the intensive care unit (ICU) after she was mauled by a pack of dogs last week. She lost an arm and an ear in the attack.
On the morning of July 15 in North Portland, police responded to a medical call at an encampment near North Columbia Boulevard. They found several dogs had attacked a woman, identified by her friends and family as Mytoka Petry.
She was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. Two other people attempting to intervene were also injured, but were not transported, police said.
Multnomah County Animal Services responded to the attack and took eight dogs into custody. The animals are currently being held there pending the investigation, which will determine next steps, according to a spokesperson.
Now, lifelong friends have stepped up to help Petry and her family as she recovers. They started a GoFundMe page to help cover expenses.
"She would always be there for everyone else, and it's time for us to be there for her," said Kristine Rebber.
"That's our biggest concern right now, is how are we going to take care of Mytoka?" said Monica Estrada.
On Tuesday, they recalled the horror of learning what happened to Petry one week ago.
"Complete disbelief. Shock. It's really just like a horror movie," said Julana Torres. "It's so unbelievable that this would happen to somebody, let alone somebody I love so much."
Petry remains in the ICU and could possibly lose an eye. Her two daughters have been by her side, as she's undergone five surgeries within seven days.
"Her eldest daughter is only 23 and she's having to make very hard decisions for her mom at this time," said Rebber. "We are all so happy (Mytoka) is alive. Because of the extent of her injuries, she's not out of the woods yet."