A Tyler family is mourning the tragic death of 23-year-old Madison Riley Hull, a college student who was mauled by three pit bulls while pet sitting on Friday, Nov. 21.
Hull, just six months from earning her bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education at the University of Texas at Tyler, died despite emergency efforts to save her.
According to the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to the home around 4:15 p.m., finding Hull unresponsive in the backyard.
When a deputy approached, one of the pit bulls charged at him, prompting the officer to fatally shoot the dog. The gunfire frightened the remaining two dogs, allowing deputies to pull Hull to safety. She later died from her injuries. The deputy sustained minor injuries and received treatment at a nearby hospital.
Hull’s mother, Jennifer Hubbell, shared the heartbreaking news in 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.”
Friends and family describe Hull as joyful and full of life. Photos on the fundraising page show her laughing with friends and playing with children, reflecting her deep commitment to teaching and her love for working with young students.
“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.”
The incident adds to a series of dog-related tragedies in the U.S., including a California teenager attacked by multiple large dogs while jogging and a Florida infant killed by a family dog while briefly unattended.
Authorities in Smith County have not released further details about the Tyler attack. Judge Andy Dunklin is scheduled to provide updates during a court hearing on Wednesday, Nov. 26.
As of Nov. 25, the GoFundMe campaign had raised over $13,000 to cover Hull’s funeral and memorial services. Hubbell expressed gratitude for the support, noting that the funds will help give her daughter “the beautiful farewell her bright spirit deserves.”
