Nurse Loses Arm After Saving Pit Bull From Death Row

Liz Shidler is a nurse with good intentions who recently found herself trapped by a pit bull she saved from death row. The incident left her arm useless months after the attack. She fostered dogs for five years without hesitation before taking Benny into her Tempe, Arizona home on July 8. That was when things went wrong.

Benny tried to bite three other dogs while Shidler took them outside. Her kind act turned violent in seconds. She dragged the dog inside and fought to free herself from his jaws. The struggle tore an artery in her arm. Benny clamped down hard enough to cause severe damage.

Shidler lost three units of blood during the chaos. Calling 911 became a nightmare as fresh blood flowed over the phone line. Doctors warned she almost lost her left arm entirely. Even after emergency surgery, she cannot lift or move it weeks later. She now lives with a friend who works from home to help care for her.

A GoFundMe campaign seeks money for her medical bills and living costs. The fundraiser states doctors do not think she will return to work for at least one year. Her unemployment claim was denied and is currently under appeal. Without income, the financial pressure feels urgent.

Maricopa County animal shelter officials told reporters Benny had been on a euthanasia list but showed no history of aggression before this attack. Shidler hopes others who want to foster animals will think carefully about these hidden risks. We forget our boundaries when we act with pure heart, and that leads to trouble. She does not want anyone else to suffer this fate.

Statistics show around 4.5 million people get bitten by dogs in the US every year. The American Veterinary Medical Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention track these numbers. Last year saw 84 dog-related deaths across the US and Canada, according to Animals 24-7. Roughly 64 of those fatalities involved pit bulls.

Another victim was Angel Rawlings, a 22-year-old woman bitten by two pit bulls at her Bourbon, Missouri home on December 27, 2025. Emily Panuco, 27, died after being mauled while shielding her son from three dogs in California this February. These cases highlight the danger lurking behind every rescue attempt. Shidler remains recovering with a brace and limited mobility.