REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio — A girl who was attacked by dogs in a Reynoldsburg neighborhood earlier this year recently paid a visit to the first responders who helped save her life.
Avery Russell was one of two people who were attacked by two pitbull dogs on June 11. First responders from the Truro Township Fire Department responded to the scene and helped Avery before she was taken to Nationwide Children's Hospital.
The young girl was in a coma for five days and had undergone three surgeries. She lost her left ear, part of her right ear and suffered injuries to her face, nose, neck and shoulders.
After months of recovery and rehabilitation, Avery met the team of first responders who helped save her life on Thursday. She was accompanied by family and friends as she visited Station 161.
“It was an honor to welcome Avery and her loved ones, and we wish her continued strength and all the best as she continues her journey of healing,” the department said in a Facebook post.
Local 2932 Union President Mick Pfaff at the fire department started a fundraiser for Avery and her mom, Drew, after the attack. Within 24 hours, it had raised about 15,000.
“We see a lot of bad things, a lot of bad runs but nothing is worse than a severely injured child and the injuries Avery sustained that day were really bad and it was clear as soon as we saw her that we needed to get her to the hospital as soon as possible,” Pfaff told 10TV’s Carla Rogner in June.
Pfaff even visited Avery at the hospital.
He told 10TV that starting the fundraiser and seeing Avery get better was helpful for him and his colleagues who witnessed the horrific scene.
“A lot of times in the fire service these bad calls can have a negative effect on firemen and paramedics, can create a lot of post-traumatic stress, and I think by turning this terrible situation into a positive one with the GoFundMe campaign we were essentially able to turn something very negative into something positive,” Pfaff said.
During her recovery, Avery had to relearn things like how to eat and drink, and her mom said her walking was wobbly, but she is getting stronger every day.
She is now in sixth grade and has big dreams of playing basketball and designing apps and video games.
The owners of the pit bulls were charged with failure to register/license a dog and two misdemeanors for failure to confine a dog. One of the dogs was shot by police at the scene and euthanized by Franklin County Animal Control due to its injuries. The second dog was taken by animal control.