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A 82 year-old woman was rushed to hospital after she was attacked by two dogs in Goondiwindi on Sunday. Her injuries were so severe she was transported to St Andrews Hospital in Toowoomba where she underwent surgery to both legs including skin grafts. Jill Tonkin said she was left screaming in the street after the attack. Mrs Tonkin was walking home in Yapunyah Crescent around 5.30pm on Sunday when she was savaged by “two black and white dogs, they looked like Border Collies,” she said. “They just rushed towards me and bit into both my legs. “I just screamed, ‘Get them off me, get them off me!’” With both legs bleeding “profusely” she began to hobble home. “I was just screaming for help.” It arrived in the form of another teenager Alex McDonnell who lives next door to the Tonkins. She called her father Stan who administered first aid and called the ambulance. The family praised their efforts. READ: Get set to have your brain drained PICS – Brain Drain flashback “By the time Stan got to mum she had lost a lot of blood,” her son Matthew said. “He did a wonderful job,” he said. Mrs Tonkin said she was “innocently walking along the same road I have done for 16 years. I wasn’t antagonising the dogs in anyway and did not realise they were out until they rushed at me.” Mrs Tonkin has not been able to sleep since the ordeal. She will remain in hospital until at least Monday. “Then it’s the long road to recovery, both physically and mentally,” Matthew said. “It could take months, she’s only just recovered from an illness,” he said. Her big concern is she won’t be able to help at Meals on Wheels or at the St Mary’s op shop. She is also desperate to ensure this doesn’t happen to anyone else in Goondiwindi. The Goondiwindi Regional Council is investigating the attack. “Once Mrs Tonkin and the dogs’ owner are interviewed and the facts are determined a decision will be made as to the course of action Council will take given the legislative requirements we work under,” GRC Mayor, Cr Graeme Scheu said.

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