College student mauled to death while pet-sitting 3 pit bulls
A Texas college student was tragically killed in a “vicious dog attack” while pet-sitting three pit bulls, who her mother said had previously shown affection toward her before the fatal incident.
Madison Riley, 23, was discovered dead in the backyard of a residential home in Tyler, Texas, around 4:15 p.m. Friday, authorities told WFAA. A neighbor called 911, prompting deputies from the Smith County Sheriff’s Office to respond. By the time officers arrived, all three pit bulls had attacked Riley.
Sergeant Larry Christian, a public information officer with the sheriff’s office, described the scene to KYTX: “The dogs then diverted their attention. All three of them to him. Started coming toward him, and he unholstered his service weapon and fired at one of the dogs, killing it.”
Riley’s mother, Jennifer Hubbell, said she “just dropped to [her] knees” when she learned of her daughter’s death. She explained that Riley had noticed a sudden change in the dogs’ behavior before the attack. “She said that they hadn’t always been that way,” Hubbell said.
Riley, an experienced dog-sitter and avid animal lover, had previously cared for the homeowners’ children for extended periods and believed looking after the pit bulls would be safe. It is unclear whether the children were present at the time of the attack, but the sheriff’s office confirmed the homeowners were out of town.
Riley was six months away from earning her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from the University of Texas at Tyler. Her mother said her daughter was inspired in part by her younger brother, who has autism. “Her K-3rd grade students adored her. She had a gift for making every child feel safe, special, and loved. Madison’s heart was made for that work,” Hubbell wrote on GoFundMe.
A court hearing for the two surviving pit bulls is scheduled for Wednesday.
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