2 children killed, mother hospitalized after Tennessee dog mauling

MEMPHIS – Two young children are dead and their mother suffered major injuries after two family dogs attacked a baby and toddler outside their West Tennessee home.

The mauling took place outside of the family’s Memphis-area home on Thursday, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office reported.

Kirstie Bennard, 30, suffered critical injuries when she tried to intervene in the attack on her 5-month-old boy, Hollace Dean, and 2-year-old girl, Lilly Jane, family told USA TODAY Saturday.

“She put her body on top of Lilly’s to try and protect her after the attack started,” Bennard’s uncle by marriage, Jeff Gibson said. “Both (dogs) started attacking her while she lay on Lilly.”

The two children were pronounced dead when officials arrived at the home, the sheriff’s office reported.

Their mother was taken to a local hospital in critical condition, officials said.

She has since been released from the hospital, Gibson said Saturday.

Gibson said his nephew, Colby Bennard, was not home when the attack took place.