Sue Turner, Reporting
(WCCO) Minneapolis A Twin Cities mother was downgraded Wednesday morning after surgery Tuesday night for wounds suffered in a vicious dog attack. A bulldog attacked Paula Ybarra in her Minneapolis neighborhood as she helped a friend work on his house. The attack nearly killed the single mother of three and Wednesday vets plan to put down the dog and a pit bull that was with him.
Ybarra and her kids were enjoying a warm spring night Monday at a friend's house helping him paint. "She brought the littlest one in to use the bathroom and grab her purse 'cause they were getting ready to go, when all this happened," said Tom Provost, Ybarra's brother.
A 160-pound American bulldog named Bo Bo attacked Ybarra in the neck cutting a hole in her windpipe and damaging a major artery and her voice box. Merlin, a 65-pound pit bull, was in the room.
Ybarra had stopped breathing when rescue workers arrived. She was downgraded to critical condition Wednesday morning at Hennepin County Medical Center after being in serious condition Tuesday evening.
"I've never experienced anything like this in my life," said Tom Mohrbacker, the dog's owner. The dogs' owner, Tom Mohrbacker, said the 5-year-old dogs were like his kids, but he decided to euthanize them because he's afraid of what they could do next. "My dog almost killed one of my good friends, what do you do?" said Mohrbacker. Mohrbacker said the bigger dog had become more aggressive in the last year. In December, Bo Bo bit the shoulder of a child. At that time animal investigators warned Mohrbacker he was trouble.
The woman's brother said she knew the dogs well and loved animals and had two dogs of her own. "I was very angry ... I spoke with Tom and other people who known the dogs. I'm not happy," said Provost.
Ybarra's recovery is expected to be a long one and the owner of the dog set up a memorial fund to help. Donations can be sent to any U.S. Bank in the name of Paula Ybarra.
Animal control is still investigating the case and there could be charges against the dogs' owner.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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MN: Woman Recovering After Dog Attack
Apr 3, 2007 7:05 pm US/Central
Sue Turner, Reporting
(WCCO) A woman who was viciously attacked by a bulldog in her Minneapolis neighborhood is still facing a very difficult recovery. Paula Ybarra is reaching new milestones all the time, but her wounds have left her without a voice at Hennepin County Medical Center. "Today she'll be eating solid foods," said Tom Provost, Paula's Brother.
Ybarra was at a friend's house last week when she took her daughter to the bathroom. The 4-year-old was knocked down by one of his two dogs. When Ybarra went to pick her up, the 160 pound American Bulldog bit her in the neck and another 65 pound Pitbull grabbed her foot.
Paula has a hole in her neck and damage to her larynx which has left her unable to speak. She will have a trachea in for another six to 10 weeks, but doctors are hopeful she will be able to talk again. "She's doing so well, everything looks promising. They're very happy with everything they're seeing so far," said Provost.
Ybarra has known the dogs' owner for 20 years. She said she didn't see any signs that the dogs were dangerous and didn't know the bigger dog had bit a child in December. She said at first she felt bad that the dogs were euthanized. However, now that the shock of the attack has worn off, she's starting to support euthanizing dogs at their first sign of vicious behavior. "I'm starting to agree, next this could have been a child," said Ybarra as she wrote out her thoughts on a clipboard. Ybarra, a dog lover and owner said she thinks of the animals as people. "Don't judge them all for what this one did," she wrote.
Ybarra is the single mother of three and worked two jobs to support her family. She said she will be able to keep both of her jobs. Her 4-year-old daughter was not injured and the attack has not caused Ybarra's three girls to be afraid of dogs. The biggest problem the children have right now is missing their mom while she is in the hospital.
To help the Ybarra family, you can send donations to any U.S. Bank in the Twin Cities in care of Paula Ybarra.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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Minneapolis settles dog-attack lawsuit
Published: Nov. 8, 2008 at 6:55 PM
MINNEAPOLIS, Wis., Nov. 8 (UPI) -- Minneapolis has agreed to settle a suit brought by a woman who was almost killed by a friend's dogs in an attack witnessed by her young daughters. Paula Ybarra's lawsuit claimed the city was liable because Thomas Mohrbacker's dogs had been left in his possession after being declared dangerous. The city council approved a $367,000 payment Friday, The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported. Ybarra's lawsuit against Mohrbacker is still pending.
The attack occurred when Ybarra was visiting Mohrbacker with her daughters, Adriana, 9, and Cassandra, 4. A 150-pound bulldog knocked Cassandra over, and then that dog and a 60-pound pit bull attacked her, biting her in the throat, when she bent down to pick the girl up.
In court papers filed in May, Ybarra said her medical bills totaled $225,000. She said she still had trouble breathing and was at high risk of stroke as a result of her injuries.
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