Trainee nurse is left scarred for life after her dad's 100lb rescue Pitbull and Bully cross called Irish ripped off her nose and mauled her arm and ears during terrifying unprovoked attack
By James Callery For Mailonline12:47 GMT 02 Mar 2023 , updated 17:50 GMT 02 Mar 2023A trainee nurse has been left scarred for life after her dad's 100lb rescue Pitbull and Bully cross called Irish ripped off her nose and mauled her right arm and ears during a horrific unprovoked attack in Pennsylvania.
Trinity Rowles, 20, said the dog attack took place on September 9 last year.
After the dog ripped off the end of her nose and sunk his teeth into her arm, it viciously pulled her around on the ground.
Trinity said: 'Irish attacked me as I walked away. I fell to the ground and that's when I felt him starting to bite my nose. I was yelling that he was biting my nose.'
A week after the incident, Trinity had a skin graft using skin from the top of her forehead and scalp, with hair left growing on her reconstructed nose.
She also had cartilage taken from her ear, as well as donor cartilage.
Trinity has undergone four surgeries and still has up to six more to go, working on her face.
She experiences PTSD and terrifying flashbacks of the attack.
The flashbacks are affecting her sleep. She is on medication and attends therapy to help her deal with the PTSD.
Trinity's dad had owned the rescue dog for around five years and she said he was 'like a great big teddy bear'.
She said: 'He was so loveable and really soft. I would always go around and see him, and I even looked after him when my dad was out of town.'
Trinity said the attack was out of character for Irish but noted that before she had left her dad's house on the day of the attack, they had been arguing.
She also highlighted that the breeds are emotional and placing them in high-conflict situations is not ideal for them.
Trinity said: 'My dad put me in the fetal position to try and protect as much as he could, but Irish kept trying to get at me and continued to bite me.
'He then latched on to my arm and began playing tug of war with it as if my arm was a toy, and dragged me across the yard.
'Then suddenly, like the flick of a switch, Irish just walked away and sat at the porch stairs.'
Trinity's dad and neighbors came to her aid and called the police and ambulance.
Her dad then took Irish inside while she waited for the emergency services to arrive.
Trinity said: 'When the police arrived, I remember I was getting put on to a stretcher and heard my dad shout "just do it" before the sound of gunshots being discharged.'
The attack left Trinity with severe injuries to her face, including her ears, as well as to her right arm.
She said that while the attack lasted a few minutes, it felt like the much longer.
Trinity added: 'During the attack, it was like I was in and out of reality. My fight or flight kicked in but still knew what was happening to me.
'I knew I was getting attacked and being bitten, but only to a certain extent. I could feel the pain but I had no idea about the extent of the injuries.'
She continued: 'After the attack, my nose was gushing with blood. It was like a puddle in my hand. I was also losing so much blood from my arm.
'I was taken to the hospital, and I don't remember much after that. My mum met me there and she told me that the doctors were literally putting their hands inside my arms because of how extensive the wounds were.'
She was taken to Holy Spirit Hospital and then transferred to Penn State Hershey Medical Center due to the severity of her injuries, according to a GoFundMe account set up for her.
A post from the account noted that she had wounds covering her arm from her shoulder to her wrist and was bitten with enough force to fracture the bone.
Trinity said: 'Having near-death experience has changed my perspective on life, and I am really grateful to still be here as it could have been a lot worse.
'It's also really affected my confidence. It has been very hard to deal with how my face has changed.'
She said she is now aware of the damage dogs can inflict and has a strong fear of them.
Trinity graduated from Dauphin County Technical School's Health Careers program in 2021. She then began working as a Certified Nurse Assistant with Select Medical at Penn State Rehabilitation Hospital in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
In the year that she has been working there, Trinity had bought a new car, moved into her first apartment with her boyfriend Jayy, and registered for full time classes at HACC, Central Pennsylvania's Community College, to start pursuing her Registered Nurse degree.
Trinity said: 'I am still due to have up to another six more surgeries to help with my recovery. The next will be to help get rid of the scar on her forehead, and we also want to work on my nostrils because they are different sizes.
'Although this has been a life-changing and horrendous experience, I am just so glad to still be here.'
Source:https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...ds-rescue-Pitbull-Bully-cross-mauled-her.html
