A long-time Tri-City business owner is remembered by her son

0

KENNEWICK, Wash. – We would do anything to protect our family members, including our dogs or cats.

Billene “Billi” Cameron was attacked by two Pit Bulls that jumped into her yard and went after her dog Diego.

Cameron’s son Jackson Woodard sat down with NonStop Local to remember his mother and talk about what happened.

“She was a vibrant, eccentric lady,” said Woodard. “Always the biggest smile, the biggest hug. She was a huge animal lover.”

Cameron is a well-known and loved business owner. She and her husband along with Woodard opened Woody’s Bullpen in Kennewick.

Woodard was on his way one day to his parent’s home earlier this month, when he got a call that there had been an accident.

“It was a rush of chaos,” Woodard said. “There were police, there was the sheriff’s office, animal control and paramedics.”

According to Woodard, Cameron was at home when the two Pit Bulls attacked her dog. She was able to get the dog away from the Pit Bulls, but this is when they turned their attention toward her.

“Both dogs had followed her into the house and that’s when the aggressive dog continued to attack her inside,” he said.

Woodard said a neighbor jumped the fence and ran to help by hitting the attacking dog with a shovel to get the animals away. His mother got to her bathroom and dialed 9-1-1.

Benton County Sheriff’s got there and were able to get control of the animals.

Cameron was taken to a local hospital for treatment as she sustained bite marks on both of her legs, according to Woodard.

Woodard says Cameron had stints in her legs and those were damaged, so the doctors had to perform emergency surgery on her. Later that night his mother was in the Intensive Care Unit saying her chest hurt, the doctors jumped into life-saving measures.

The doctor told the family what was going on and all they had done.

“It was at this point that I instructed the doctors to stop performing CPR and stop giving life-saving measures,” Woodard said.

Lieutenant Mike Clark of the Benton County Sheriff’s Office said this is an ongoing investigation.

“We’re not releasing any details as far as the cause of death, which is still under investigation and pending the autopsy this week,” said Lt. Clark.

Lt. Clark says the two dogs are being held in Benton County during the investigation.

Woodard says he and his family have been overwhelmed by the support of the community and the kind words said about his mother.

He wants to invite the community who wants to pay their respect to his mom.

 

FOX41 Yakima©FOX11 TriCities©