Lindsay Pearson’s eyebrow was “hanging off” after being attacked by the dog earlier this month.
Now she faces months of hospital visits to monitor her injuries, with the college graduate needing corrective surgery in six months.
Lindsay was left with blood streaming down her face after trying to clap a new puppy at a house - the owner of which she knows well.
As she tried to show affection to the new addition, the owner’s existing dog, a bull mastiff / bulldog cross, lunged for her, biting her above her eye.
Now the 26-year-old has been left scarred for life after the attack.
A distraught Lindsay, of Kilmarnock, said: “The dog was always kept behind the gate, but the owner said it was good with people, just not other dogs. It’s been fine with me before, but I’ve found out since it has attacked the owner and others. I was going to clap the pup and the dog has gone for me and bit me on the face.”
Lindsay’s dad and partner, Chelsea, were in the car and came to help her, grabbing a towel to stem the blood pouring from her face.
“I can’t really remember what happened, everything was just a blur because of the pain,” she added. “I asked if I was bleeding and dad said my eyebrow was hanging off. They took me to Crosshouse hospital – I was there for over six-and-a-half hours”
Lindsay was left needing 40 stitches to the wound and has been in and out of hospital for check ups. Surgery to fully repair her injury is inevitable, but to what extent, she doesn’t yet know. That will see her go for an x-ray to determine whether, as suspected, her bone has been chipped.
She added: “The left side of my face is numb and the scar is really sore.”
Lindsay didn’t want to press any charges over the incident, but has been left upset at the owner, who has blamed her for the attack.
Her partner said the police gave the owner the dog back with a warning, saying if it were to bite anyone else it would get put down. Now Chelsea wants to make people aware of dangerous dogs, especially this one.
She said: “After the attack we heard it had bitten someone before. Lindsay nearly lost her eye and will be scarred for life, as well as having to have surgery to correct her eyebrow due to part of the tissue been ripped out.
“I have a dog myself, so would hate to see anyone’s pet put down, but it’s known to everyone as being a dangerous dog and the police aren’t taking us seriously.”
Now Lindsay is scared to leave the house. Even a dog barking makes her jump.
She said: “I went to the shops with my dad the other day, but I felt really scared and nervous. I couldn’t wait to get home. My neighbour’s dog was attacked by another dog the other day and I heard the barking - it scared me. I’m okay with our dog, but I don’t feel confident around others now.”
But Lindsay is also concerned for the safety of the children in the house where she was attacked, as well as others who may come across it. A Staffordshire bull terrier owner herself, Lindsay has no issues with the breed of dog but admitted she is concerned about what the dog could do next.
She added: “I think it should be put down, but it hasn’t been yet. The police gave the dog back to the owner – I don’t want to create any problems, but then I started getting the blame.
“It wasn’t my fault I was attacked. There are kids in the house and I don’t want it to happen to them. The owner says it is fine with them, but that doesn’t mean anything – it’s attacked before and it’s unsafe to have a dog like that near kids.”
(Scottish Daily Record - Oct 30, 2014)
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