Indiana Woman Loses Lip in Shocking Attack by Family Dog, Sparks Debate on Pet Euthanasia
A marketing director from Indiana is undergoing therapy after a sudden and brutal attack by her Great Pyrenees, Scout, left her with her upper lip torn off. The incident, which occurred on October 8th, underscores the unpredictable nature of animal behavior and has ignited a conversation about responsible pet ownership and difficult decisions regarding animal safety.
Kelli Maxwell, 41, was petting the five-year-old dog when he unexpectedly attacked, biting into her upper lip with such force that it was completely severed. She also sustained injuries to her forearm, requiring eight stitches. The harrowing experience unfolded at the family home and led to the tragic euthanasia of Scout the following day.
According to Maxwell, the attack was entirely out of the blue. “Scout was a very playful loving dog and a mischief maker as a puppy,” she explained. “He was very gentle with our daughters and with us and visitors – he was a very sweet dog.” Maxwell recounted entering the bedroom to find Scout lying on the floor, seemingly relaxed. After petting him normally, she began to rub his belly when the attack occurred. “The next thing I knew he was in my face,” she said. “I didn’t feel the actual bite, I could just feel blood all over.”
The family’s other dog, a ten-year-old Pitbull named Sadie, intervened, allowing Maxwell to escape and seek help from her husband, Thomas, 38. She was immediately rushed to Ascension St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis, where doctors informed her that her lip was beyond repair. Maxwell underwent a one-hour procedure to address the wound and create a skin flap, but further reconstructive surgery may be necessary.
Following standard protocol, the Arcadia Police Department and the hospital filed a bite report, mandating a two-week quarantine for Scout followed by euthanasia. Concerned for the safety of their two step-daughters, aged nine and twelve, Maxwell and her husband made the agonizing decision to euthanize Scout at a local veterinary clinic.
The decision, while mandated by protocol, was deeply distressing for the family. Maxwell emphasized, “Having never been through something like behaviourally euthanising a dog I don’t believe it’s anyone’s first choice and if someone who jumps to the conclusion of ‘you’ve killed your dog’, that’s not what we wanted to do.” She added, “If we knew another way or had another way to keep everyone and the dog safe we would’ve done it.”
Maxwell discovered a piece of her torn lip in the bedroom after returning home from the hospital, a grim reminder of the trauma she endured. She is now receiving therapy to cope with the physical and emotional scars of the attack.
The incident highlights the importance of understanding that even well-loved and seemingly gentle animals can exhibit unpredictable behavior. Maxwell hopes her story will raise awareness that “even good dogs can have bad days.” She adopted Scout from the Clinton County Humane Society shelter’s foster-to-adopt program when he was six weeks old, and the attack came as a complete shock given his previously docile nature.
Maxwell acknowledges that Scout may have experienced separation anxiety, a factor that contributed to the difficult decision regarding his euthanasia. While she is beginning to “kind of feel a little bit normal like my old self,” the experience has left an indelible mark.
