🎗️ Heartbreaking Story Alert 🎗️
20-year-old Sam Redding’s life was forever changed in a few terrifying minutes. Attacked by a Spanish Mastiff-Akita cross at a friend’s house in Falkirk this January, she now faces a long journey of recovery after the dog tore into her face, leaving her with catastrophic injuries.
“I thought I was going to die,” says Sam. Despite being around the dog before, it turned on her without warning. In a moment, Sam was left fighting for her life, experiencing pain beyond words as the dog clamped onto her face.
Rushed to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, Sam underwent an intensive 12-hour surgery where doctors attempted to reconstruct her face with skin grafts from her arm and leg. But even after this life-saving surgery, she still couldn’t eat or speak and had to have a tracheostomy to breathe.
The trauma doesn’t stop at the physical scars. Sam now grapples with PTSD and an overwhelming fear of dogs, struggling even to be near her family’s Cavapoo. She’s now championing for stricter laws on the breeding and ownership of large fighting dogs, highlighting that, had she been a child, she might not have survived the attack.
In an effort to support Sam, her family has set up a fundraiser, which has already gathered over £6,000. Every contribution goes a long way in aiding her recovery and covering additional medical treatments.
In the wake of this tragedy, Police Scotland has arrested a 38-year-old man, charged in connection with Sam’s horrifying ordeal under the Dangerous Dog Act 1991.
Sam’s journey is a stark reminder of the unpredictability of certain dog breeds and the imperative need for responsible ownership. Sending love and strength to Sam on her road to recovery ❤️🩹
#DogAttack #StaySafe #SupportSam #DogSafety #RecoveryJourney
🔗 [Link to fundraiser]