Mom Severely Mauled By Pit Bull While Protecting Son; Cousin Saved Them With Garden Shears

A mother was mauled trying to protect her two-year-old son after a pit bull forced his way through a fence and attacked him. Then, her cousin swooped in with garden shears.

On Easter Sunday, Tiffany Griffis (left) was dropping off food to her cousin Destiny Godfrey (right) at her workplace in Sanford, North Carolina along with three of her four children. Godfrey works at a home for people with special needs and while the relatives talked outside of the workplace, the neighbor’s dog, a two-year-old white and brown pit bull named Grey pushed his way under a fence.

According to animal control documents obtained by Oxygen.com, Grey lunged at Griffis’ son Cameron. The dog bit him on his left leg and swung him around.

Griffis told Oxygen.com, "We didn’t do anything to trigger him or cause him to attack. He was dragging him and biting him in his groin area and left leg so I immediately thought, 'my baby, I have to help him or this dog will kill him,' and I started fighting the dog while my cousin Destiny grabbed [Griffis' other children] and took them inside to be safe. I was trying to open the dog's mouth with my hands and everything I could."

Eventually, she was able to get Grey's jaw off her son. After rescuing her son, she lifted him over her head and passed him to Godfrey. Then, Grey came after Griffis.

"The dog then began to bite me as I’m running and I fell," she said, adding that Grey dragged her around a yard.

That’s when Godfrey really stepped in.

Godfrey told Oxygen.com, "The only thing I could hear in my head was a voice guiding me through to save them. It was like this voice telling me everything to do. All I know is I wasn’t going to let them leave me!"

She stabbed the dog with a pair of garden shears, according to animal control documents. Griffis said that Godrey also tossed out a knife and Griffis began stabbing the dog, too. At first, the dog didn't seem phased but it eventually paid off.  Grey eased up and ran into the woods.

"I lost so much blood I thought I was gonna die," Griffis said. "I just told myself to stay awake and don’t close my eyes because my babies needed me and I didn’t want to die."

Lee County Sheriff’s Deputies arrived and found Grey. He has been deemed dangerous and has been euthanized ten days after the incident. Minerva Hernandez expressed concern for the victims and animal control said she "understood" why her pet needed to be put down. Below, is a Facebook post by animal control before the dog's death.

Both Griffis and her son Cameron suffered extensive wounds to their body. They were airlifted to a nearby hospital for treatment. The toddler suffered a puncture wound on his thigh and groin. Scratches cover his body and head. Griffis required surgery on her left leg to clean wounds. She received stitches and drain tubes. Her left hand is fractured and also requires surgery. Griffis told Oxygen that she will need more surgery on her leg as well as physical therapy. A GoFundMe has been set up to help pay for the medical bills. Oxygen has confirmed it is authentic. The photographs seen here are of Griffis' wounds.

[Photos: Provided by Tiffany Griffis, Destiny Godfrey and Lee County Government]