Rescue worker killed by dog that ‘snapped’

‘Pam loved what she was doing and died loving what she was doing,’ the woman’s wife said.

A woman working at a Florida facility that houses abandoned dogs was killed when one of the animals "suddenly snapped" and began biting her.

Pam Robb was killed when the dog suddenly began attacking her at the 100+ Abandoned Dogs of Everglades Florida shelter just before 11am Thursday, according to CBS Miami.

Pam Robb, a worker at an animal shelter in Florida, was killed when a dog ‘snapped’ and attacked her. (Facebook)

The Broward County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Claudinne Caro said a second woman was also injured when she tried to help Ms Robb.

"The two adult females are workers. One of them was working with the dog when apparently the dog suddenly snapped," she said. "The second adult female tried to aid the worker, but in the process, she herself got injured."

Both of the women were taken to a local hospital. Ms Robb was pronounced dead after arriving at the hospital.

The dog was a 125-pound mixed breed that was rescued from the Everglades and brought to the facility.

"What I understand is the dog was a rescue and this is the first time the dog had some sort of incident like this where he snaps," Ms Caro said.

Ms Robb's wife, Angie Anobile, told the outlet that the pair had been together for more than 20 years. She said her wife was a "wonderful, giving, caring person”.

"She had a love for those animals, she really did, and they responded very well to her. This was just a fluke accident. No one did anything out of the ordinary," Ms Anobile said.

She said that there was "always a risk when you work with abused animals," noting that her wife was "well aware of it”.

"I'm sorry it happened to the love of my life, and I'm sorry it happened to someone who could make such a difference in society," she said. "Pam loved what she was doing and died loving what she was doing."

The dog was eventually taken to Broward Animal Care in Broward County, where it was euthanised. A sample of the dog's blood is being tested to determine if the animal had rabies.

The shelter posted a memorial to Ms Robb on its Facebook page, saying "Our hearts are broken for our dear friend Pam. Our deepest condolences to her family & friends."

"We are All grieving & ask for you to please give us time to process this great misfortune & loss of our Dear friend. We thank you for your love & patience," the post read.