'I could hardly look at her': Milwaukee woman faces long road to recovery following graphic dog attack (2024)

MILWAUKEE — Toni Braaten faces a long road of recovery ahead after she was attacked by four dogs on Thursday morning.

It happened just before 9:00 a.m. at an upper duplex off N 33rd. St. Family told TMJ4 News she was going to visit a friend and didn’t know he had four pit bulls. According to her dad, Toni was attacked immediately.

“I could hardly look at her,” said Thomas Braaten.

Her family spent Thursday and Friday by her side. Toni was out of surgery by 7:30 p.m. Thomas was still shaken up on Friday after he saw what the dogs did.

GoFundMe:Fundraiser by Thomas Braaten : Support Toni's Healing After Dog Attack (gofundme.com)

“They tore a chunk out of her head,” said Braaten. “Her arms are torn up. She's got a huge chunk missing out of her hand, and it looks like they just took a bite out of her. Her legs are chewed up. Her breast is chewed up.”

Thomas said that the police reported Toni threw herself down the stairs to try and get to safety, using her arms as a shield from the biting.

LaDale, who lives in the downstairs part of the duplex, heard the commotion. He told TMJ4 News that he tries to keep to himself, but when he heard the screams, he had to do something.

“I maced them, and I hit them to free them up from the young lady,” said LaDale.

He also pressed his life alert to call for help. Both Toni’s defensive actions and LaDale’s quick actions likely saved the 33-year-old’s life.

“They’re not listening to him,” said LaDale. “He’s trying to tell them to stop, but they were not listening to him. He lost control. They turned around and tried to bite him.”

LaDale and other neighbors TMJ4 spoke with said this wasn’t the first time the dogs had caused trouble, and they had only been in the neighborhood for three or four months.

LINK: Animal Fancier (Breeding) (milwaukee.gov)

“I can barely come outside; dogs are hopping the fence,” said LaDale. “I had to give up my cat because they almost got in here and got a hold of my cat.”

Watch: Milwaukee woman faces long road to recovery following graphic dog attack

Milwaukee woman faces long road to recovery following graphic dog attack

He and others said they were living in fear, as the dogs would leap over a backyard fence and chase people.

Two neighbors said they witnessed a woman throwing a chicken from their groceries after one of the dogs went after her and her children.

TMJ4 tried to talk with the owner, but he did not want to go on camera.

MADACC confirmed that four dogs were taken from the scene and are currently at the shelter in quarantine.

The Braaten family now faces an uphill battle as they look to get Toni better. They plan to move her out of Milwaukee once she recovers.

They expect her to be out of the hospital by next week.

“Every time she closes her eyes, she sees the dogs coming at her,” said Thomas.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help with medical bills and the trauma that Toni will now face.

GoFundMe:Fundraiser by Thomas Braaten : Support Toni's Healing After Dog Attack (gofundme.com)

TMJ4 reached out to Milwaukee Police to see if the owner had been cited but did not hear back.

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