I just wanted to stop the pain...

(I only feel it is fair to warn you that there are some graphic photos. If you have a weak stomach, maybe you shouldn't read/see this)

A little more than two years ago, my heart raced more than I could ever tell you, and as a mommy all I wanted to do was to stop the pain and trauma that I knew my daughter was going through. 

We had gone to a barbecue with some of my husbands’ coworkers. Some people brought kids, some brought their dogs. It was looking to be a fun afternoon with lots of laughter. Victoria was happily playing a few feet away, so I had just cracked open my first beer. I was interrupted as I was about to take that first, nice cool swig by the sound of my daughter screaming. 

She had been sitting beside someone’s Boxer playing with him, but the dog was walking away. My Love commented that the dog must have knocked her over as he got up, so I went over to pick her up and comfort her. As I turned her over, I saw blood on her face…and a huge gash in her cheek. I don’t remember much besides frantically wanting to leave and get her to the hospital. I remember showing My Love and rushing into the house for paper towels. Once in there, I remember saying over and over “let’s just go, let’s just go”. I was shaking, my baby was screaming, her face was torn open. It was horrifying to see my baby like that. My beautiful baby girl…I could do nothing…

We went to the truck, I climbed in the backseat with her in my lap, trying so hard to comfort her, but freaking out the whole time…adrenaline was going strong. My Love was driving as fast as possible while being safe and he dropped us off at the front door of the children’s emergency room. I rushed in and they immediately ushered us to a room.

It was very difficult to even keep her calm. This next photo turns my stomach...you can see the hurt and terror in her eyes and the cut is so deep you can see the nerves and the bone. EW.

The doctors and nurses were amazing there and made the whole process much better. A plastic surgeon came in and did the stitches (19 stitches. 5 internal stitches and 14 external) and today, it looks much better.

We are sooo incredibly lucky that he bit where he did…had the bite been a little higher, she could have lost her eye…a little lower and it would have been her neck…Thank God for small miracles.

So, why am I bringing this up?

Well, I just read an article about how dog bites account for over $479 million a year in insurance claims and I had recently read an article (though I can’t seem to find it now) about how there were law changes being made to become ‘stricter’ on dog owners with multiple bite charges. The owners would be charged up to a $10,000 fine for a 3^rd offense...third…three times of a dog attacking a human or other animal…three victims…and the owner gets charged…I just don’t agree. 

The owners of the dog had a 5 month old child at the time. The dog was taken by the state for a mandatory 10 days to check for rabies and then released back to the family. They kept the dog.

I’m sorry. If MY dog had done to another child what that dog did to my baby…there would have been a bullet in her head before we drove to the hospital. We are talking a completely un-provoked, no warning, bite of a child’s face…to the bone…

I know it could have been worse…I understand that…but will the next child who gets bit by that same dog understand that? What about the owner’s child? If that baby starts crawling around and tugs on the dogs ears a bit too much or just gets in the way and gets bitten by their family pet and has to have a scar to remind her of it every day of her life…will that be ok?

At the very least, they should have given the dog away to someone who had no small children, for the safety of their own baby. 

Do I fault the dog, no, not necessarily...he was in an unfamiliar place with new people all around him. Do I fault the owners, no. They did nothing to provoke this. 

So, I bring this up as a reminder that ANY…and I repeat…ANY breed of dog can and will bite.  

Well, after 2 years, the scar is healing well. You would never know it used to be that gaping hole...

I will have to see if I can remember to get a photo of that side of her face...just realized today that I don't have any recent ones I can find!!

Bites are worse than the bark...

One year ago, my family and I went to a barbecue at a friend's house. Another friend of theirs brought their dog along (a Boxer) also. Victoria and other kids were playing and literally out of nowhere, with no warning, no bark, no growl, nothing, Victoria was on the ground crying and the dog was walking away. We thought the dog had simply knocked her over...I bent down to pick her up and saw this...

Oh Holy Crap! What the HELL just happened to my beautiful baby girl?!?! I freaked. I scooped her up in my arms and went running inside for some paper towels. I NEVER thought this would happen. The whole time I just kept telling my husband "Let's go! I just want to take her to the hospital, now. Let's go. Let's go. I just want to go." and I was shaking...oh, man, was I shaking. We had to find her "Hooey" (toy hippo/lovey) and we left. This photo is actually from the backseat of my car on the way to the hospital. I was holding her. It was about 2 miles to get there.
Once inside, they immediately took us to a room and gave her some pain meds. She was terrified, I was horrified. As a mother, all I wanted to do was make her NOT hurt...how could I help? It was very difficult to even keep her calm. This next photo turns my stomach...you can see the hurt and terror in her eyes and the cut is so deep you can see the nerves and the bone. EW.



We had to wait for a plastic surgeon, so they cleaned it and put a bandage on it while we waited:
She was slightly distracted by Dora, so that was nice. When the plastic surgeon got there, she gave her some meds that basically knocked her out, but her eyes were still open and they shook back and forth (that was freaky), then she stitched her up...19 stitches. 5 internal stitches and 14 external.



So, one year later, the scar is healing quite well. She still calls it her "dog bite" but is not, in the least, scared of dogs, although she does not like it if they run up to her face (can't say I blame her on that one). Most people don't even notice it and those that do would never fathom that it was because of this, or that it was that deep or that bad.

We count our blessings that since she was bitten, it was where it was and there was no meat missing or anything...it was a straight, clean cut. Missed her eye and her throat, which are much more important than her vanity.



For those that might be curious, the dog's owner had a 5 month old child at the time, and as far as I know, they decided to keep the dog. The city put the dog in quarantine for 10 days to check for rabies, and then released it back to the owners. They did feel bad and it's not like they had their dog attack her. No one was sued or will be.