Nationwide — A family is grieving an unimaginable loss after Jennifer Hubbell, a 23-year-old college student, from Tyler, Texas, was mauled to death by three dogs while pet sitting — a tragedy that occurred just months before she was set to graduate. On Saturday, Nov. 22, Jennifer Hubbell announced the death of her daughter, Madison Riley Hull, through a GoFundMe campaign created to help cover memorial expenses.
“I am shattered in a way I didn’t know a human being could break,” Hubbell wrote. “My beautiful, loving, full-of-life, free-spirited daughter was killed in a sudden and vicious dog attack.”
According to the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, Hull had been caring for three pit bulls at a home in Tyler, Texas, when the attack occurred on Friday, Nov. 21, around 4:15 p.m. Local outlets — including the Tyler Morning Telegraph, WFAA, and WTOC — reported that deputies arrived to find Hull unresponsive in the backyard. When an officer tried to reach her, one of the pit bulls charged at him. The deputy fatally shot the dog, and the gunfire scared off the remaining two enough for him to pull Hull to safety. Despite efforts to save her, she died shortly afterward. The deputy sustained minor injuries and was treated at a nearby hospital.
According to People, Hull was just six months away from completing her bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education at the University of Texas at Tyler. Her mother said she had already discovered her passion for teaching and had built strong bonds with the K–3 students she worked with. Photos shared on the GoFundMe page show Hull laughing, posing with friends, and making silly faces with children — images that reflect the playful, joyful energy her family says defined her.
“Madi was love, she was light, she was kindness, she was laughter,” Hubbell wrote. “She lived fiercely and beautifully, and her free spirit lifted everyone around her.”
This attack follows several other recent dog-mauling tragedies across the country, including the California teen who survived after being attacked by more than ten large-breed dogs during a jog, and the Florida infant who was fatally mauled by a 130-pound family dog while his mother briefly stepped away. Authorities in Smith County have not yet released further details on the Tyler case, but Judge Andy Dunklin is expected to provide an update during a court hearing on Wednesday, Nov. 26.
As of Tuesday, Nov. 25, the GoFundMe campaign had raised more than $13,000 toward Hull’s funeral and memorial costs. Hubbell thanked supporters for their kindness and said the funds will help give her daughter “the beautiful farewell her bright spirit deserves.”