Katy Community Rallies to Support Mom Mauled by Dogs; Local Groups Work to Prevent Future Attacks
- ncookclark
- Sep 25
- 4 min read
KATY MAGAZINE NEWS
September 25, 2025
By Natalie Cook Clark
A Katy mother was mauled last week by four dogs, all of whom she knew from her Katy neighborhood. The dogs ripped her apart creating lasting damage and trauma. The community is working to support her as others strive to educate and prevent such a tragedy from repeating itself.
Katy mom Kristi Burrell was life flighted to Memorial Hermann Hospital last week after four pit pulls jumped her fence near FM 2855 in Katy and attacked her without provocation. Now the community looks to support her as more seek to educate and prevent such vicious attacks.
“My daughter received bites and tears over the majority of her body, severing through muscle and ligaments all the way to the bone in several areas,” says Kristi’s father John Hesseltine. “They had to shave her head completely to try and piece together what was left of her head and scalp and install a tube to drain fluid buildup.”
While she’s been released from the trauma center, she remains in horrible pain and will need skilled at home nursing for a while. Because of this, her father set up a Go Fund Me account to help support her during this time. At the time of publication, over $37,000 have been raised, but that is just over 80% of their goal.
“When we first talked on the phone while crying, she said to me, ‘Daddy, they tore me up. They tore me up really bad,’” recalls Hesseltine. “And when I first got there, through the tears she said, ‘they tried to eat me alive!’”
These were neighborhood dogs who Kristi knew and had even showed affection to in the past. The jumped her fence and attacked her last week. Kristi tried to retreat to her door and tried to fight them off, but they dragged her to the ground.
Her screams got the attention of neighbors. One woman tried to stop the attack by blocking it but was unsuccessful. A man used his gun to shoot and kill two of the dogs at the scene.
Kristi’s 9-year-old son called 911 as his mother was bleeding from her numerous injuries.
The other two dogs were euthanized at the request of the owner.
Hesseltine says that Kristi will not be able to work for quite a while and may never recover from the mental scars that the incident has inflicted on her.
“I doubt that she will ever be the same kind, gentle soul that tried so hard to be kind and rescued so many animals herself,” says Hesseltine.
“People are responsible for the soundness of their enclosures and the actions of their pets,” says Paige Holsapple, co-founder of Cinco Ranch Area Lost & Found Network. Like so many, she is heartbroken over Kristi’s attack and wants this to be a learning moment to help the community prevent such a tragedy from repeating itself.
Cinco Ranch Area Lost & Found Pet Network is the largest Katy neighborhood pet pages and is for more than just families that live the Cinco Ranch subdivisions.
“The best thing people can do is to raise our collective standards and expectations in the stewardship of all domestic animals,” says Holsapple.
Ways to Make a Difference:
Spay and Neuter- “We have way too many animals in our shelters and on our streets making it unsafe for people and those who are responsible with walking pets on-leash,” says Holsapple.
Adopt and Support- Help the rescue community through fostering and volunteering.
Donate- Financially support the legitimate rescue community.
Don’t Support Unlicensed Breeders- Stop supporting “backyard breeders.” Only get pets from reputable and responsible sources.
Do Your Research- Before committing to a breed understand their needs such as training, health/wellness, etc. “If you cannot afford proper training or regular grooming expenses, you might want to find a pet which has fewer requirements for easy keeping,” says Holsapple.
Invest in Your Pet- Invest in your pet’s training by vetted professionals, regular grooming from a young age, and supervised socialization. “All are critical to produce a happy and balanced family members who are an asset to the family,” says Holsapple.
Maintain Fences/Gates- Be an active community member by maintaining fences/gates that are appropriate for the property. This includes placing a padlock on the inside of the gate to prevent avoidable losses.
Properly ID Pets- Fit all pets with proper collars with an ID and have them microchipped and registered through a local veterinarian.
Always Report Loss Pets- Utilize local Lost and Found sites such as Cinco Ranch Area Lost & Found Pet Network.
“No one wants to condemn any loose pet because many are just homeless by no fault of their own and need our compassion, but those owners who abandon ay pet should be held fully responsible—even if they plead ignorance (which the law doesn’t excuse) and abandon them and move away,” says Holsapple.
The exact circumstances of the dogs who attacked Kristi hasn’t been released. It is known that a proper fence wasn’t enough to stop the attack. The real heroes here are the neighbors who came to her aid.
“As neighbors we should all know and speak to one another and stay on top of any situation of pets who show up in need and especially any animal that is a risk to others without provocation,” says Holsapple.
Again, those who wish to help Kristi during this time can contribute through the Go Fund Me page.
“Accountability is the only way things will change for the better for all people and their pets,” stresses Holsapple.
