Parker Woman Dies Shielding Son From Dog Attack in California

Emily Panuco drove across the state line from Parker with her young son for what should have been a simple afternoon visit to see a litter of newborn puppies. She never made it home.

The 26-year-old Parker resident died on Feb. 27 after throwing herself between her son and three adult dogs that attacked at her mother's home in Big River, California, just across the Colorado River from La Paz County. Her son survived the attack with bites to his legs, arms and back. He witnessed every moment of it.

According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, deputies responded to a reported dog attack at a home in the 6700 block of Wingfoot Court around 3:30 p.m. that Friday. Emily and her son had come to see week-old puppies that her mother had been caring for, including the litter's mother, an abandoned dog a neighbor had left behind when they moved away. Three adult dogs were on the property when the boy approached the cardboard box where the puppies were kept near the front door.

"The neighbor moved away, left it, so she was putting food out for it, so it kind of stayed there," said Esther Panuco, Emily's mother-in-law, describing how the dog had come to live at the property.

When the boy moved toward the box to pet the puppies, all three adult dogs attacked. Emily stepped between her son and the dogs immediately.

"I think that was her first instinct, that she didn't even think about what would happen to her, that she needed to save her son," Esther Panuco said.

She managed to get her son into the car before the attack overtook her. "She somehow got him into the car, and maybe she wasn't able to get in because the car was still running, the door was open," Esther Panuco said. Emily sustained multiple bite wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene despite lifesaving efforts, according to the Colorado River Sheriff's Department.

Emily's mother was not home when the attack occurred. She returned later and found her daughter's body. "Her mom is grieving very much, too; she found her, she was not home. When she got there later on, they had been there for a little while," Esther Panuco said.

The boy was transported to a local hospital and has since been released, authorities said. But the physical injuries tell only part of the story. "He saw everything, he saw the whole attack," Esther Panuco said.

All three adult dogs were taken into custody and humanely euthanized by CRIT Animal Control following the attack. The investigation remains ongoing.

Emily Panuco leaves behind a husband, her son, and a 7-month-old baby. A GoFundMe has been established to cover medical bills, funeral expenses and the cost of specialized therapy for the boy.