Dogsitter who had face ripped apart by dogs shares results of reconstructive surgery
A woman who had her face ripped apart by dogs has shared the results following some intense facial reconstruction surgery.
Jacqueline Durand, from Texas, was dog-sitting when all of a sudden, the two dogs she was watching viciously attacked her.
The devastating incident took place in 2021 and Jacqueline has since documented her post-op journey.
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Jacqueline was just 21 when she was dog-sitting two 'lovely' rescue dogs, who she had previously met before.
Then, out of nowhere, the two canines completely turned on her and subsequently mauled Jacqueline's face.
The dogs then drag her into their home before brutally ripping off her ears, lips and cheeks.
However, she has since been able to transform the horrific experience into a tale of inspiration - and is using the situation to raise awareness for dog owners.
Speaking to CBS News, she revealed that she is publicly sharing her story in hopes of shedding a light on the potential dangers that dogs can pose.
She 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 for dog owners to know their animals and be able to communicate with their sitters how they are."
Jacqueline had dog-sat for seven years, and said that she thought she was 'going to die' during the attack.
Describing where she was attacked, she said: "My legs, my arms, my face the most. Essentially, when I felt the skin hanging from my face."
The dogs in question were Bender, a boxer and pit bull mix, and Lucy, a German Shepherd mix.
The owners of the dogs, Justin and Ashely Bishop, had previously assured Jacqueline that the animals would be restrained before she arrived at the residence.
However, Jacqueline quickly realised that the dogs were walking free around the house.
She said she had never experienced anything like the severe change in the dogs' temperaments, compared to when she first met them during a 'meet and greet'.
She said the stark shift left her totally 'speechless'.
The attack went on for over half an hour and only came to a halt after an alarm was triggered by the front door of the house being left open.
Police arrived at the scene and it took them 37 minutes to save Jacqueline from the dogs.
She had already lost an obscene amount of blood at this point - 30 per cent to be exact, per the Independent.
Both the dogs were put down following the awful attack and Jacqueline sued the owners for negligence.
She is now taking to social media to inspire other people who may have endured a similar fate to keep positive.
The now 22-year-old shared her journey to TikTok - and revealed the results of her reconstructive surgery just over a year since the life-changing event.
Jacqueline admitted that she thought her boyfriend would leave her due of the severity that the attack had on her face, but he assured her wasn't going anywhere.
"I was skeptical if he was going to stay with me," she said in an Instagram Live.
"I asked him straight up, 'do you still want to be with me? I've changed forever', and he said 'I wouldn't want to be anywhere else'."
Jacqueline has explained that she underwent the surgery to help her skin grow back, and while she still has a long road of recovery ahead of her, doctors have said that she is unlikely to need a face transplant.
Incredibly, despite the whole ordeal, her love of dogs hasn't faltered at all.
She has since revealed that she hopes to work with dogs in the future.
However, at the moment, she feels unable to work with German Shepherds and Pit Bulls again due to having flashbacks of the attack.
Rhiannon Ingle