A mother was afraid that her friend's dog would seriously harm her when it unexpectedly attacked her on the street.
Kelsea Morgan was visiting a friend in Swansea, Wales when she heard a commotion outside. When they went to investigate, her friend's rottweiler pitbull mix was becoming agitated and running in and out of the house.
33-year-old Kelsea sat down next to the dog to try and calm it down – but suddenly the dog became aggressive and bit her face.
The dog held onto her face for about 20 seconds, making her fear that it would tear her face off.
Kelsea's face was cut open, with wounds on her nostril, cheek, and a split septum.
She underwent emergency surgery and needed 24 stitches. Doctors informed her that she would have permanent scars.
The attack occurred in September 2022, and since then Kelsea has been reluctant to leave the house without makeup.
She recounted: 'We heard a disturbance on the street and the dog ran out and was running back and forth in and out of the house and getting quite agitated.
I believe I made the mistake of trying to calm the dog down because it appeared distressed. But it suddenly became aggressive. There was nothing I could say that would stop the dog from attacking me.
It clamped onto my face and I thought it would pull my face off. I tried to get the dog to let go as much as I could.
It was probably only attached to my face for 10 to 20 seconds, but time feels so slow when you're panicking.
There was so much blood that I couldn't see. I was wiping it away and constantly checking my hands for any flesh.
On the left side of my face just below my cheek, I had a three-inch wound. I required 15 stitches in the hole in my cheek, six for my septum, and three in my nostril.
My septum was split and had to be stitched so it would heal properly.
After the surgery, Kelsea was unable to talk, laugh, or eat for a week while her wounds healed.
She also felt 'ashamed' of her scars, stating: 'I had to undergo emergency surgery and I was so scared of how I would look afterwards. The surgeon assured me he would make me look as good as possible.
After the surgery, I felt awful and didn't want to go home to my daughter because I didn't want her to see my face.
For at least a week after the surgery, I couldn't talk, laugh, yawn, or eat. I was also on very strong painkillers, which meant I couldn't drive or work. I stayed hidden in my house for a while. I didn't want anyone to see the impact of my scars.
Initially after the incident, I would have dreams and wake up at night thinking that my face wasn't there. The medication was quite strong and may have played a role in this.
After the attack, Kelsea reported the incident to South Wales Police and the rottweiler pitbull mix was ordered to be put down.
The dog's owner was charged with being in control of a dangerously aggressive dog and causing injury.
After admitting guilt, the person received a 12-month community order, a six-month tagged curfew, and was also instructed to cover court costs and pay £1,000 to Kelsea for her injuries.
Even though the dog was euthanized, Kelsea says the incident has made her deeply afraid of them and cautions other owners about the natural animal instincts of dogs.
She told The Mirror: 'I’m really scared of dogs now. I just wouldn't trust dogs, even ones kept in your home, because they are wild animals with a natural inclination to attack.
‘When I was younger, we used to tease our pet dog and it would warn us, but this dog breed [the one that attacked me] is extremely powerful.’
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