Family Pitbull Attacks Mother and Son; Neighbors Intervene in Divinópolis

A 38-year-old homemaker, Vanderleya Aparecida de Paula Batista, and her 17-year-old son were severely injured after being attacked by their own family pitbull on Sunday, May 26th, in the Paraíso neighborhood of Divinópolis. The attack occurred in the backyard of their residence. Batista credits neighbors with saving their lives, stating, "We didn't die because these neighbors helped pull the dog off us. It was a bloody fight. Today I just thank God because we were born again." The pitbull, which had been with the family for approximately three months, reportedly broke free from its chain. When Batista attempted to secure it, the dog attacked her son. She intervened to protect him but was subsequently attacked herself, suffering multiple bites to her abdomen, breast, and leg. Her son also sustained numerous bites. The struggle lasted about 30 minutes, during which neighbors and passersby intervened. One man used a knife to subdue the animal, while another managed to suffocate it. The dog died at the scene. Both mother and son were treated by the Mobile Emergency Care Service (Samu) and transported to the Divinópolis Emergency Care Unit (UPA) with injuries and abrasions. Batista later expressed dissatisfaction with the initial UPA treatment, noting that neither she nor her son received a rabies vaccine or imaging tests for her reported rib pain during their first visit. They returned later that evening to receive the first dose of the rabies vaccine and are scheduled for subsequent doses.