Jacqueline Durand is rebuilding her life and her face after a horrific attack by two dogs in 2021. Durand has been bitten over 800 times, but she is sharing her story and photos after the attack and numerous surgeries. She says she does this to encourage others and to draw attention to the dangers of dogs.
Durand shared her story on social media. “It’s a long road to full recovery but I’m fine, it’s a process.”
Durand for the attack
Durand, who was a student in Texas in the United States, showed up the day before her 22nd birthday in December 2021 at the home of a couple whose dogs she was babysitting. As soon as she opened the door to the house, the two dogs rushed at her, dragging her down the hall and into the living room. During the half-hour attack, they bit her more than 800 times, ripping her nose, ears, lips and cheeks to the bone. Durand’s face was disfigured after the attack, but she underwent 18 surgeries to reconstruct her face.
Durand after the first operations.
“I didn’t ask for this, I think it’s time to show who I am now and I can’t be afraid to show myself.” I want dog owners to know their pets and to be able to tell those who are supposed to care for the pets how the dogs are.”
“When I felt the skin hanging off my face, I thought I was going to die.”
Horrible attack by two dogs
Durand was attacked by two rescue dogs, Bender a boxer/pit bull mix and Lucy a German Shepherd, but Durand had encountered the dogs once before the attack. Although they seemed adorable when she met them, their demeanor changed as soon as Durand walked through the door that fateful day, but the dogs were roaming the house.
“When I felt the skin hanging off my face, I thought I was going to die,” Durand said as he recalled the attack. The police arrived, where an alarm bell went off when the front door was left open. However, they were only able to begin rescue operations 37 minutes later, as the dogs were considered dangerous and therefore unsafe to enter the house.
@jacquelinedurand7 Some days are easier than others 🤷🏼♀️ but I keep my head up in tough times 💜 #survivor #dogattacksurvivor #dogattackawareness ♬ original sound – Tik Toker
Underwent 18 operations
Durand was taken to hospital, she had lost 30% of her blood and underwent seven hours of emergency surgery. She had to be resuscitated several times on the operating table and was placed in an induced coma for a week. After 60 days in the hospital, she was discharged. Durand underwent 18 surgeries to reconstruct her face, and in the first, doctors grafted skin from her buttocks and forehead to begin the reconstruction process. In other surgeries, his nose was reconstructed using skin near the hairline of his forehead and his upper lip was created using skin from his left thigh.
Durand has a boyfriend, but he had recently recovered from cancer at the time of the incident. “Through that experience, we bonded and he was there for me from day one and I’m very grateful to him for that.” What some of you may not know is that he has been diagnosed and treated for cancer for the past two years, thank God he is cancer free and all is well. I was there for him and now that the tables have been turned he is there for me. It’s really beautiful to see how true our love is.”
Durand and her boyfriend have been together for four years.
Despite this terrifying experience, Durand still loves dogs and dreams of working with them again in the future. “I am thinking of dog training. It’s my dream, but I don’t know where life will take me.”
