A traumatised woman said she thought she would bleed to death after a dog ripped off her entire bottom lip in a savage park attack.
Minna Pickell was walking her 11-year-old Boxer, Zeus, when a stray black and white dog appeared out of nowhere and began sniffing her pet.
As the 35-year-old tried to slip a lead around the animal’s neck to take it to a rescue centre, it suddenly lunged at her face – tearing off her bottom lip in a single bite.
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The horror incident left Minna needing emergency plastic surgery to rebuild her face.
“The dog came running out of nowhere,” she told Need to Know.
“It was sniffing my dog and didn’t have a collar on.
“Some passersby said they were trying to catch it to take it to a rescue centre so I slid Zeus’ lead around it’s neck.
“I thought we had better control of the situation.
“I was choking the dog with the lead so I reached in to try and give slack from it’s throat and it went for my face.
“It was one clean bite.”
The lab technician said she was terrified she would bleed out before paramedics arrived at the scene on 15 September in St Petersburg, Florida.
She said: “I was full of panic and anxiety and I couldn’t speak but I didn’t know the lip was gone.
“In that moment I wasn’t sure if I would bleed out so I applied pressure using a towel from my car.
“When the paramedics arrived, her eyes grew wide and she said ‘it’s ok, they can fix it’.
“I absolutely freaked out, grabbed my phone and looked with my camera.
Minna Pickell in hospital. (Picture: Jam Press)
Minna Pickell in hospital. (Picture: Jam Press)
“In that moment I wanted to be dead.
“I was horrified. I had a missing lip, missing chin and my teeth were exposed.
“I was disgusted and horrified and I wanted to die.
“I just wanted everything to stop.”
Surgeons later performed a complex skin graft, connecting the right side of her mouth to the remaining skin on the left.
But Minna says she’s been left suffering from PTSD, anxiety, and physical pain – and now struggles to leave her home.
She said: “I go through the motions.
“I keep a brave face but I have PTSD and anxiety.
“I have a really hard time leaving my house as that was just any normal day.
Minna Pickell in hospital after surgery. (Picture: Jam Press)
Minna Pickell after surgery. (Picture: Jam Press)
“I’m scared that when I leave something bad will happen so most days I stay at home and I’ve never been a homebody.
“I get nervous of all animals around me.
“Physically, my mouth is numb and my nerves are all out of sort.
“I’ve been prescribed medication, I have speech therapy and mental health issues.
“Eating is really hard since my mouth doesn’t open and I have to break all my food down into tiny pieces and shove it in my mouth.
“I dribble and drool accidentally from having a cold and numbing sensation in my lips.
“The scar tissue is really thick so has made speaking more difficult.
“I get frustrated when I can’t say certain things right.
Minna Pickell after the attack. (Picture: Jam Press)
“I feel embarrassed when in public that people are judging me because my lip is smaller and the scar is massive across my face.
“A lot of days when I look in the mirror I’m angry, sad and mourning the girl I used to see.
“I don’t look, sound or feel like me.
“This has forever changed my life.”
Minna has since launched a fundraiser to help cover her medical bills and living costs while she remains unable to work.
She added: “I’ve been out of work in recovery, and with future surgeries and recovery time I need to be able to pay my bills and not stress about money or anything else but recovery.”
To donate, go to: Donate to Help My Niece Recover After a Tragic Dog Attack, organized by Michele Waterfall.
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