“[In] 38 years, I’ve never been involved or seen anything to this extent as far as injuries caused by a wild animal,” Pittsburg County Sheriff Frankie McClendon said
Credit: GoFundMe
NEED TO KNOW
- Alicia Maxey was discovered mauled in Blanco, Okla. severely mauled on March 29
- “[In] 38 years, I’ve never been involved or seen anything to this extent as far as injuries caused by a wild animal,” Pittsburg County Sheriff Frankie McClendon said in a statement to Fox 23
- Maxey’s family initially claimed the animal was a dog, but evidence from the scene is undergoing DNA testing to determine if the animal could have been a bear or a mountain lion
A mother from Oklahoma was severely injured by an unknown animal on March 29, while her husband urgently awaits a new kidney and is on dialysis.
Alicia Maxey was discovered mauled in Blanco, Okla., by the homeowner of the property, who happened to be an EMT, per local outlet Fox 23. The Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office is working with Oklahoma Wildlife Services to identify the animal based on the severity of Maxey's wounds, per the outlet.
Maxey told her sister-in-law Kat Kelley that she heard a “deep growl" right before being attacked, per the outlet.
“Something just pounced on her and knocked her to the ground,” Kelley told Fox 23. “She says it was dog-like is what she described, but she didn’t say it was certainly a dog.”
“I’m in too much pain to say anything right now,” Maxey told the outlet between surgeries.
Kelley started a GoFundMe to assist Maxey with her intensive recovery. "The homeowners discovered her unconscious and bloody, with the dog still present," Kelley claimed in the GoFundMe. "They immediately called 911, and Alicia was rushed to St. John’s in Tulsa for emergency care. The trauma and injuries she suffered have left our entire family in shock, and Alicia now faces a long and difficult road to recovery."
Maxey's husband Wallace is "currently on dialysis and waiting on the kidney donor list," per the GoFundMe. As a result, Maxey was the breadwinner for the family of four.
Credit: GoFundMe
"Now, with Alicia unable to work, their family is struggling to keep up with daily expenses," Kelley continued in the GoFundMe description. "Their only vehicle was towed after the incident and is accumulating fees every day, making it even harder for Wallace to get to his dialysis appointments, which are almost two hours away."
“When I first walked in and I saw her, I just broke down and started crying,” Wallace told Fox 23 of his wife's condition after four emergency surgeries. “I wasn’t expecting this.”
“Alicia is a loving, caring person," Wallace continued, per the outlet. "It doesn’t matter who you are, she will sit there and help you the best that she can.”
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Credit: GoFundMe
“[In] 38 years, I’ve never been involved or seen anything to this extent as far as injuries caused by a wild animal,” Pittsburg County Sheriff Frankie McClendon said in a statement to Fox 23.
Pieces of Maxey's tattered clothing and other evidence are being tested for animal DNA, with authorities believing the animal could be a bear, a mountain lion, or a dog, according to the outlet, which cited the Pittsburg County Sheriff's Office and Oklahoma Wildlife Services.
Research from Oklahoma State University indicates that Pittsburg County has some of the highest bear populations in the state.
PEOPLE has reached out to the Pittsburg County Sheriff's Office and Oklahoma Wildlife Services.
Read the full article here