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NEEDED TO BE AIRLIFTED TO THE HOSPITAL. OUR NOLAN BLAIR TALKED TO THE DOG’S OWNER. REPORTER THE OWNER SAYS HER DOG WAS GETTING ALONG JUST FINE WITH HER FRIEND THIS MORNING INSIDE THIS HOME, BUT THAT CHANGED WH THEY GOT OUTSIDE. >> UNTIL WE CAME OUTSIDE, YEAH, BUT INSIDE THE HOUSE WE WERE IN THERE AND HE WAS LAYING ALL OVER AND PETTING HER AND EVERYTHING. REPORTER: SISSY PAINTER SAYS OUTSIDE HER DOG DUKE JUMPED THE WOMAN’S LEG. SHE SAYS THE WOMAN STARTED FLAILING AROUND AND THE DOG THOUGHT THE WOMAN WAS GOING AFTER HIS OWNER, SO HE ATTACKED HER. PAINTER TRIED TO GET THE DOG OFF WITH A TENNIS RACKET. >> WHEN I REALIZED I WASN’T GOING TO BE STRONG ENOUGH TO GET HIM OFF HER, I CALLED 911. REPORTER DEPUTIES SHOWED UP. WE TRIED TO USE A TASER TO GET THE DOG AWAY FROM HER. THAT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE DOG TURNED AND STARTED CHARGING TOWARDS THE DEPUTY AND SHOT SEVERAL ROUNDS TOWARDS TH DOG TO PROTECT HIMSELF. REPORTER: MUELLER SAYS THE DEPUTY WAS ABLE TO APPLY TOURNIQUET TO THE VICTIM’S LEG. THE VICTIM WAS AIRLIFTED TO SPARTANBURG REGIONAL. >> SHE’S GOT SIGNIFICANT INJURIES WHERE THE DOG MAULE HER, IT’S NOT A SINGLE DOG BITE. REPORTER: MUELLER SAYS THE DOG WAS EUTHANIZED DUE TO GUNSHOT INJURIES AND THAT PAINTER WILL NOT BE CHARGED SINCE THE DOG WAS IN A FENCED AREA. SHERIFF MUELLER CALLED THIS A TRAGIC SITUATION AND THAT SHOULD KEEP THE VICTIM IN OUR PRAYERS AS S

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Advertisement Woman visiting friend mauled, seriously injured in dog attack Woman airlifted to hospital after attack by German shepherd, deputies say Share Shares Copy Link Copy

An woman was mauled by a dog early Wednesday morning, according to the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office.A deputy found a large German shepherd standing over the injured woman in the yard of an apartment on Marietta Road in Gaffney at about 6:20 a.m.The deputy said the dog continued to be aggressive. The deputy said he tried unsuccessfully to use a Taser to get the dog away from the woman. The deputy said the dog then charged him, and he fired several shots at the dog. The deputy then applied a tourniquet to the woman's leg to stop the bleeding. Officials said the dog was in a fenced-in area of the yard and the woman was visiting a friend at the incident location. The 61-year-old woman was airlifted to Spartanburg Regional Hospital. Officials said they will not release the woman's name until her family has been notified by hospital officials. The dog's owner, Sissy Painter, told WYFF News 4 that her dog, Duke, is a 4 1/2-year-old purebred German shepherd.Painter told WYFF News 4's Nolan Blair that when Duke jumped on the woman's leg, the woman started flailing around and the dog thought the woman was going after his owner, so he attacked her. Painter said Duke is a guard dog and he protects her.Painter said she started hitting Duke with a tennis racket when he bit the woman, but she couldn't stop him, so she called police. The dog was taken away by Animal Control officers. Sheriff Steve Mueller said Duke was euthanized because of the extent of injuries from the gunshots.Mueller said Painter will not be charged because the dog was in a fenced area when the attack happened, so she did not break any law.