OLYPHANT -- A woman hospitalized after being attacked by a pit bull earlier this week in Lackawanna County is speaking out.
A neighbor shot and killed the pit bull as it attacked Jackie Blazek of California and her puppy.
Blazek is recovering, but still dealing with the trauma and wants to make sure it does not happen to someone else.
"I just kept thinking, 'Oh my God, this is how I`m going to die. This is going to be my story, this is how I`m going to die," said Blazek.
Nearly a week after a vicious dog attack, Blazek is still dealing with her wounds and emotional scars.
Visiting her mom in Olyphant, Jackie took Gus, the family`s 11-month old Shih Tzu, for a walk Tuesday morning.
That was when police said a neighbor's loose pit bull attacked.
"The next thing I know, the dog was in the middle of the street, but I could already tell that something had happened. He was already violently shaking, his head was shaking. He lunged at full force," said Blazek. "I put the dog above my head and he just bit my finger and I felt that and the dog clamped so hard and I could feel Gus` leg and I`m trying to pull him."
"There wasn`t much more I could do with my body other than just hitting him and trying to pull Gus out of his mouth," she added.
Police said the attack happened on nearby Gravity Avenue. A neighbor heard Blazek screaming and grabbed a gun.
"I remember leaning up and just screaming, `Shoot the dog. He`s going to kill me. I`m going to lose my life right now,` and he shot the first time and the dog didn`t even budge and I could feel his jaws just weren`t even letting go," Blazek said. "He shot him a couple more times and I just remember picking up Gus and at that time, he wasn`t barking any more."
"I have to be just thankful that Gus saved me, the man saved me and that I`m here to, I`m here," she said.
Jackie got Gus just before Christmas a gift for her mother, Jill Kidwell.
The family said the attack on Jackie and losing Gus, has been traumatic.
"He was everything that I had. He was my little guy. He was a fun dog. Everything he did was funny. I had a hard year with some personal issues going on and he was there to make me smile, make me laugh," said Jill Kidwell, Gus' owner.
"My little puppy was just shredded to pieces and that`s what I keep thinking about. That an innocent life was taken," said Blazek.
"This dog wasn`t, he wasn`t going on a leisurely walk. He was going to kill and he did and it would have been me too. So somebody has to be held accountable for that," she added.
Olyphant police said the pit bull's owner will likely be cited for violating the borough`s leash ordinance.
The neighbor who shot the pit bull will not be charged.
The family plans to meet with police and attend a council meeting Tuesday to push for tougher dog laws.
"This isn’t going to happen to anyone else. It’s not just a pit bull we’re talking about. We’re talking about any vicious dog. It’s unacceptable," added Kidwell.