A woman mauled by a dog she had known since it was a puppy says she faces years of surgery after the “terrifying” attack left her with devastating injuries.
Samantha Redding, 20, had been around the Spanish mastiff crossed with a bear-headed Akita, which belonged to her friend’s father, since it was young and says she had never known it to be aggressive.
But during a brief visit to the house in January, the huge dog suddenly latched onto her face.
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Samantha remembers little of the attack beyond seeing the animal coming towards her, hearing it growl and feeling excruciating pain.
“I went to my friend’s dad’s house to get her but she’d already left to meet me at my house,” Samantha, from Falkirk, Scotland, told Need To Know.
Samantha before. (Picture: Jam Press)
“I was only in the house for about 10 minutes and I was getting ready to leave.
“I went to pick up my bag and the dog latched on to my face.
“The dog had never been nippy to me before.
“I actually can’t remember much from then except the dog growling and then the pain.
“Then I heard everyone shouting.
“I can’t remember how the dog got off.
“All I can remember is turning round after and seeing my face in the mirror and thinking my life was over.
Samantha before. (Picture: Jam Press)
“The dog was huge, taller than me when it stands on its back legs and probably weighs around the same as me, but it had never been nippy to me before.”
Samantha managed to flee the house while covering her bloodied face before being taken to hospital.
The Tesco worker said: “In the car, I phoned my mum and dad who thought I was joking.
“I facetimed them and all they said was they’d meet me at A&E.
“I wasn’t feeling much pain but I think that was the shock.
“My mum burst into tears when she saw me
“That’s when I realised how bad it was.
Samantha in hospital. (Picture: Jam Press)
“My face looked like something from a horror movie.
“I looked like a zombie and honestly I couldn’t see it getting better.
“There are times I wish the dog had killed me so I wouldn’t have to go through all of the operations.
“I thought I would look like a monster for the rest of my life.”
The following morning, Samantha was transferred to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, where specialist maxillofacial surgeons could treat her complex injuries.
Doctors took her into theatre to clean the wounds and assess the extent of the damage.
Samantha claims her surgeon told her the attack was extremely serious and that he had rarely seen injuries as severe.
Samantha after surgery. (Picture: Jam Press)
She was warned she would need three or four operations before doctors could even begin reconstructive surgery.
She said: “This was terrifying.
“I was in constant pain, unable to eat except through a tube and my mental health was obviously taking a dip.
“I was told my next surgery would be a week later, as I needed lots of IV antibiotics before.
“They were going to have to take a graft from my arm to put on my face and a graft from my leg to cover the one on my arm.
“They were also taking veins from my arm to give me blood flow to the new patch on my face.
“I would need a tracheotomy as the operation would be almost 10 hours and I would be in the ICU after.”
Samantha spent five weeks in hospital and has now undergone four operations.
She faces another next week and potentially at least two more after that.
Samantha now. (Picture: Jam Press)
Because doctors need to protect the blood supply to the graft, the procedures are being carried out around eight weeks apart.
Samantha has been left with extensive scarring to her face and neck, as well as scars on her arm and leg from the grafts and another on her throat from the tracheotomy.
Nerve damage has also affected her gums and teeth, which will require further treatment.
Her next operation will involve debulking and reshaping her lip.
But Samantha says the physical scars are only part of the devastating impact the attack has had on her life.
She said: “My whole life has been affected by those ten minutes.
“I didn’t see my little brothers for five weeks as I didn’t want to scare them.
“All my family was amazing but I could tell they were terrified as well.
“Tesco has been amazing in supporting me through this.
“They gave me a career break, which gives me a full year off, so I know my job will be there when I’m ready to go back.
“I think the hardest part is getting through all the surgeries.
Samantha now. (Picture: Jam Press)
“I get used to how I look and get a little confidence back and then it changes again after every surgery.”
Samantha is now receiving regular therapy after struggling with anxiety and PTSD since the attack.
She added: “I get flashbacks of the dog’s face jumping up at me.
“I’ll always remember how hard life was in the hospital.
“When I look in the mirror, I hate it.
“As of now, all of the lacerations have been stitched and my skin graft is healing nicely.
“I still don’t have a lip.
“I just need to trust the process even though it can feel like it’s going nowhere. I can see the difference from January to now.
“I wish I could look normal again and just hope that the doctors and specialists can help me feel like myself again.”
Samantha says the dog is now being held in police custody at a kennel in Dundee.
She is raising money to help fund further treatment once her current round of operations is complete, particularly for the scars left by the attack.
To donate, go to: https://www.gofundme.com/f/s4hme4-support-samanthas-recovery-journey
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