It went wrong on the Nunspeetlaan last night around 11 p.m. Julia was on her way home at the time after getting something to eat when a man and woman were walking there with two dogs on a lead. Suddenly, one of the animals attacked another, smaller dog that was also taken out there.
–
–
Fallen on the ground
Wanting to save the little dog, Julia intervened, whereupon the aggressive dog attacked and bit her in the face. “That dog jumped against me, causing me to fall to the ground. I could still prevent him from biting my neck, but I could no longer protect my face,” she told RTL News from the hospital.
“I didn’t realize at all that I could be attacked myself when I intervened. I heard a woman screaming in panic and responded. I was only dealing with that little dog because I didn’t want him to die.” How the bitten animal is doing is not known.
Photos taken just after the incident show that the blood flows over Julia’s face and part of her skin is hanging loose. The images are too intense to share on the RTL Nieuws website. At first she did not feel any pain. “That only came in the hospital.”
Operated for hours
Meanwhile, ‘her face is back on’, Julia jokes now that she is doing better. “Last night I was operated on for five hours by a plastic surgeon. He sewed my face back together. At first I couldn’t speak, but luckily I am now able to do that again.”
It is not yet clear when she can go home again. “The plastic surgeon wanted to come and have a look today and the idea was that I could go home afterwards. But this morning I still had so much pain and cramps in my face that this has been postponed for a day.”
–
–
What is certain, she says, is that this is only the beginning. “I still have to undergo several surgeries. My jaw has to be straightened, because it is crooked. And I am now missing two molars that have to be made to measure and then replaced.”
At this point, Julia also has no feeling in her cheek. It remains to be seen whether that will ever come back. In addition, there is a good chance that she will have significant scars on her face from the incident.
Walked through
The police are still looking for the man and woman who walked the two dogs. “They left without saying anything, I think that is very sorry,” said Julia who reported it.
–
–
