A heartbroken man was forced to choke his own rescue dog to death after she mauled him in a 45-minute attack fearing he would die.
Matt Porter was shaving his beard when his Staffy called Karma lunged at him out of nowhere.
The 34-year-old was bitten more than 70 times on both arms and he feared he would bleed to death.
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Matt lost the use in his hands but managed to wriggle free.
He then had to make the distressing decision to use his forearms to choke the dog until she died to save himself.
He called his mum for help before he passed out from blood loss.
“Karma jumped on me, I pushed her off, she came back and bit right into my arm,” Matt, from Granite City, Illinois, told Need to Know.
“There was blood spraying everywhere. It was terrifying. I don’t know what was wrong with her.
“She didn’t stop and she was chewing on my arm for 45 minutes. I was in agonising pain.
“I grabbed her by her neck and tried to talk to her and calm her. I told her she was hurting me and to stop but she wouldn’t.
“She was trying to go for my neck and I couldn’t get a grip on my feet because of all the blood.
“I was bleeding to death and I didn’t want to die so even though I’d lost the use of my hands, I used sheer willpower and choked her to death with my forearms.
“There was no other option.
Matt Porter’s injuries after the attack. (Picture: Jam Press)
“I passed out in a puddle of blood that was around seven foot wide and woke up in hospital.”
Matt had three reconstructive surgeries on both of his arms following the attack last month and he spent one week recovering in hospital.
He’s lost the use of his right hand and has had to quit his job as a tree surgeon.
His family have set up a fundraiser to help him pay his bills while he recovers.
Matt Porter’s injuries after the attack. (Picture: Jam Press)
Matt said: “The dog ate so much muscle that you could see the bone and tendons.
“Surgeons had to put my muscle put back in.
“I won’t be able to go back to work, I’m still in pain and my arms look disgusting.
“Everything is a struggle. My fingers don’t work so I can’t do my shoes up, I can’t write or make food and it’s very frustrating.
“I sleep one hour a night and I have vivid nightmares.”
Matt adopted Karma four months ago when she was found malnourished behind a shop.
He says he was encouraged to take the dog in by family to help him recover from a break up.
Matt nursed her back to health but says there were signs that she could be aggressive.
He said: “My fiancé left me a few months earlier so my mum thought it would be a good idea for me to get an animal to help me get through things.
“Karma was so thin that you could see her ribs so I fed her up until she was four stone.
“She was so sweet and caring. She was there for me and never left my side but there were signs of aggression.
“I noticed a few times that if I tried to grab her by the collar to take her outside, she would try and bite me.
“I just thought she didn’t like it and I didn’t think that much of it.
“She would jump on my body and leave scars but it didn’t bother me.”
Matt had Karma cremated and keeps her ashes at home.
He added: “I love her and I just feel like she had a bad day.
“I don’t hold it against her.”
To donate, go to: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-matt-recover-from-dog-attack-injuries
