A woman was left with horrific facial injuries after she was mauled by a dog that she stopped to stroke in the street.
Sam Lodge was told the whippet-like dog was friendly before she went to pet it, she said. The 53-year-old was left in shock when it then 'went for her', Grimsby Live reports.
She needed 16 stitches in her face and will now need 'extensive surgery' to rectify the injuries on her face. Police are trying to find the person responsible for the dog.
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Sam said she was walking on Weelsby Street South, in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, on Friday, April 1, when she came across a woman walking a whippet-like dog. She was told the dog was friendly and she bent down to stroke it.
But she ended up being savagely mauled in the face, exposing the cartilage on her nose and leaving her with serious injuries. Sam has already had a number of operations to her face to try and grow the skin back but she has been warned the feeling in her face may never come back due to nerve damage.
Sam said she loves dogs and is sad to have seen something like this happen. She said: "I was out walking and I'd nearly got back to my house when I came across the dog. I love dogs and have always fussed or petted them whenever I've come across them. I asked if the dog was friendly and the owner told me they were so I bent down to pet it.
"It was at that point the dog went for me, nothing like this has ever happened to me before. At first, I just thought the dog had headbutted me and it wasn't until I got home and washed my face that I realised exactly what had happened. It came as quite a shock."
Following an appeal by Humberside Police to help catch those responsible, Sam says she doesn't want the dog put down, but hopes the owner can learn to put a muzzle on it or stop people from getting too close. She explained: “I’d hate to see the dog put to sleep, I love dogs. I just want people to be more careful and tell people if their dog is not safe.
"If it was a little kid, there could have been much more damage - it clearly wasn't safe." After the incident, Sam went to the hospital to get herself checked out and was told that she'd need extensive surgery to rectify her injuries. She said: "They took a flap of skin off my hairline and attached it to the bridge of my nose.
"They then twisted my nose to help the skin take to it. I've got 16 stitches in my face and I'm now waiting for it to start healing. I've been told it could be 18 months before I get any feeling back in my head and I might never. I don't go out as much at the minute because it's painful for me to walk around in the wind.
"I've got another operation in around three weeks to try and make me look normal again. If I'm honest, I'd like to turn back time. I'm getting bored of not being in work and I'm really hoping I can highlight to others that they need to make sure dogs are safe before people pet them."
A spokesperson from Humberside Police said: "The owner of the dog is described as around 5'7" tall of slim build and in her early 50s. She was wearing glasses, dark clothing and a hoody. The dog is described as a medium sized, whippet type cross.
"We would appeal for the owner of this dog to come forward. We would also ask that if anyone was in the area at the time of the incident that has information that would help with our enquiries, please call us on our non-emergency number 101 quoting reference 16/43260/22."
