A dog sitter whose face was mostly ripped off by two rescue dogs has decided to show her injuries to the world in an effort to move on without fear.
Jacqueline Durand, 22, from Dallas, Texas, was attacked by dogs that she had been asked to care for shortly before Christmas last year. She was thrown into a medical coma, resuscitated many times, and had significant reconstructive surgery.
Before this incident, the two dogs had been “lovely” to her, but as soon as she opened the door, they attacked her, pulling her into the living room and ripping off her nose, ears, lips, and cheeks. The tragedy occurred just one day before to her 22nd birthday.
Ms. Durand has now stepped out to share her experience and demonstrate how it has affected her body. She hopes to educate dog owners and sitters realize the risks involved. The photographs may be hard for some readers to look at.
In an interview with CBS News that aired on Wednesday, Ms. Durand said, “I didn’t ask for this, so I think that it’s time to show who I am now and I can’t be scared of it.”
“I want dog owners to be familiar with their pets and to be able to explain to their sitters how their pets are doing.”
“I believed I was going to die.”
When Justin and Ashley Bishop invited Ms. Durand, a student at the University of Texas at Dallas, to take care of their two rescue dogs, Bender (a boxer and pit bull mix) and Lucy (a German shepherd mix), she had already been dogsitting for seven years.
During an Instagram livestream on Wednesday, she said that the Bishops had first assured her that the animals would be contained when she came, but then they sent her a text message on the day of her arrival to inform her that the animals were running free in the residence.
Ms. Durand said that, in her experience with other dogs, there had never been any difference in their behavior between the first time she met them and the first time she visited their home. She told CBS that she was “speechless” by how quickly Bender and Lucy changed their minds.
She stated, “They attacked my legs, my arms, and my face the most,” when she was asked to describe the areas where they attacked her. Basically, I believed I was going to die when I felt the skin hanging from my face.
An automated alarm went off after the incident, which left the front door open. This alert was what rescued Ms. Durand. However, when the police came, it took them 37 minutes to get past the hostile dogs, and Ms. Durand lost around 30 percent of her blood.
The Bishops informed the police officers in a video obtained by CBS that they had “zero” issues with the canines until that moment and that they had “no history of violence.” “None.” He pointed out that there were already three children living in the home, one of them was three years old.
However, Ms. Durand is suing the family for carelessness, and her lawyer has referred to a notice that was supposedly put on their door that read: “Crazy dogs.” “Please refrain from knocking or ringing the doorbell.”
Chip Booker, the lawyer, told CBS, “The dogs were dangerous and had vicious propensities.” We think that the Bishops were aware of it. We think that everyone who encountered these dogs, especially Lucy, was aware of that.
The Bishops are disputing that case. They added in a statement, “We are heartbroken by the tragic incident involving Ms. Durand.”
“We are heartbroken by what she and her family are experiencing, and we are aware that she has sustained serious injuries. We would never intentionally put someone in danger, and we were stunned by what transpired at our house.
“We have been told not to give any interviews because of the ongoing legal proceedings.” On the other hand, we want Ms. Durand and her family to be aware that we pray for her recovery every day with great passion.
A court has ordered that both dogs be put to death, and they have been. According to Ms. Durand, she has not yet received an apology from the Bishops, and she claims that she was never completely compensated for the dogsitting service.
Nathan, her partner, is supporting her.
Ms. Durand was admitted to the hospital with over 800 bites on her body and needed weeks of medical attention and surgery. To reconstruct her face, doctors removed skin grafts from her forehead and buttocks.
When she left the hospital, the doctors and nurses cheered her, and when she got home, she was greeted with another round of applause by her boyfriend of three years, Nathan, who is 24, and the first responders.
Ms. Durand said during her Instagram broadcast, “I was unsure if he would remain with me.” I questioned him directly, “Do you still want to be in a relationship with me?” I’ve changed forever’, and he responded ‘I wouldn’t want to be anyplace else’.”
Ms. Durand had assisted Nathan in recovering from cancer before to the assault. He told CBS, “I am so thankful that I have the chance to show her the same level of love and care that she showed me during that time.”
Ms. Durand still has a desire to work with dogs and maybe become a dog trainer. However, she may not be able to go near German Shepherds and pit bulls again since the sight of them still brings back memories for her.
She said that the prognosis is favorable for her face to grow back completely, which means that she is unlikely to require a face transplant, even if she still has one to three years of surgery ahead of her.
She remarked of her development, “It really lifts me up compared to where I was.” Due to the fact that I felt completely powerless while in the hospital. I was aware that I would recover more quickly at home than I would in the hospital.
“Even though it’s not enjoyable to think about [future surgeries], I also consider how incredible the doctors are.” So, I’m relying on them to assist me.
