What happened to Kirstie Jane Bennard? Tennessee mom hospitalized as toddlers are mauled to death in pitbull attack 

On October 5, Tennessee mom Kirstie Jane Bennard was taken to hospital in critical condition after her toddlers were killed in a vicious pitbull attack.

As per the Daily Beast, the attack took place at the victim's Shelby County home. While authorities have stated that it is unclear what provoked the attack, the pitbulls, who were Bennard's family pets, reportedly began to maul the toddler.

This prompted Kirstie Jane Bennard to make an attempt to stop them, leading to her injuries.

Jeff Gibson, a relative of the victims, posted about Bennard's condition on Facebook.

Gibson said:

"(Kirstie Jane Bennard has an) uncountable amount of stitches and bite marks over her entire body, including her face."

According to a Twitter post released by the Shelby County Sherriff's Office, both toddlers died at the scene. They were identified as five-month-old Hollace Dean Bennard and two-year-old Lilly Jane Bennard. In the aftermath of the attack, the two pitbulls were euthanized.

The New York Post reported that as of October 8, Kirstie Jane Bennard is now in stable condition after being treated at Regional One Health Hospital.

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The implications of the attack on Kirstie Jane Bennard

According to a report published by Stat Pearls, America sees about 30 to 50 deaths from dog attacks every year. Time reported that while pitbulls comprise 6% of the dog population in the country, they are responsible for 68% of dog-related attacks overall.

Dogsbite reported that between 2005 and 2020, 380 Americans were killed by pitbulls alone, roughly the equivalent of one citizen dying every 15 days. In a US Law enforcement training video called Dog Bite Prevention for Law Enforcement, dog expert Lockwood discussed why "fighting dogs" such as pitbulls had a reputation for violence.

Lockwood said:

"Fighting dogs lie all the time. I experienced it first hand when I was investigating three pit bulls that killed a little boy in Georgia. When I went up to do an initial evaluation of the dog's behavior, the dog came up to the front of the fence, gave me a nice little tail wag and a "play bow" -- a little solicitation, a little greeting. As I got closer, he lunged for my face."

However, despite the reputation pitbulls have garnered for aggressive behavior, Kelsey Gallini, a friend of Kirstie Jane Bennard, claimed that the animals are being unfairly demonized.

Gallini said:

“Why does something so traumatic and unimaginable have to be so publicized?? Just to stir the pot on the war on pitbulls? You’re disgusting.”

The DABL reports supported Gallini's sentiment, claiming that if provided with the proper training, pitbulls are not inherently dangerous pets.