Racine woman’s arm severed, says pet ‘went berserk’

RACINE, Wis. – A Racine woman spoke to FOX6 News about a gruesome dog attack that happened inside her home last November.

“I couldn’t get him off of me. He just was on me,” recounted Kelli Wolff.

It happened on Nov. 11. Wolff said her dog was somehow triggered when she was replacing a smoke detector battery.

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“It was making that horrible noise. The dog just went berserk,” she said. “He just came at me. Nuts. And this dog slept in bed with me. He was 92 pounds. He was a cane corso.”

The 71-year-old was home alone during the attack.

“I was able to get to the landline phone. He was getting a drink of water, and I dialed 911,” said Wolff. “When the officers came to the door, I just said, ‘Please break down the door, and please shoot the dog. There’s something wrong with him.’”

Wolff said, while police did shoot her dog, the damage was already done. Her arm was severed, and she lost her source of income.

“I can’t work. I have to have two hands to be a hairdresser,” she said.

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Wolff has come a long way, but she is unable to work and has mounting medical bills. To help her out, friends have planned a fundraiser for Saturday, Feb. 24 at Roma Lodge.

“The support I have from my friends is overwhelming. It just is. I didn’t realize I had such good friends,” the 71-year-old said.

Wolff said Porcaro Family Charity is also helping her during this difficult time. She is working to have a prosthetic arm made and hopes to drive and mow the lawn again.