A man who suffered devastating facial injuries after being attacked by his two dogs has opened up about the terrifying incident, the long road to recovery and how he learned to live with the changes to his appearance.
Joshua Dixon said he once enjoyed spending time with his two dogs, Shoop and Bam Bam. However, everything changed in December 2007 when an incident involving the dogs left him with life-threatening injuries and permanently changed the course of his life.
Follow the Elizabethblog channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbDQN5lI1rcbSgriLG2M
According to Joshua, the attack happened after he slipped on black ice, which startled one of the dogs.
Recalling the terrifying moment, he said: “I felt numb and cold
“I kept screaming, but no one could hear me.
“When my dad finally came outside and saw what happened, he rushed me inside and asked for mum to call for an ambulance.
“All I remember saying was: ‘Why can’t I see?’ The pain began to fade into shock.”
Joshua explained that Bam Bam had only been living with his family for a few months before the attack. He said the dog had always made him uncomfortable because of the way it behaved around him.
He added: “He kept barking at me and lunged whenever I walked past him.
“While he and Shoop were our pets, they were also used to protect the home.
“Shoop was a sweetheart – but Bam Bam, I always had a bad feeling about.
“He was never gentle and always seemed like he was holding himself back from attacking.
“My dad was overly confident no dog would ever harm us, but I didn’t feel certain about that.
“Bam Bam was dangerous.”
Despite those concerns, Joshua never imagined that he would eventually become the victim of a brutal attack involving both dogs.
Joshua said the incident occurred after he returned from school and went through the back gate.
He recalled: “It was after school and I went through the back gate.
“Bam Bam ran out and I remember being warned not to let him escape.
“I pulled at his tail and shut the gate behind me.
“As I turned, I slipped on black ice and he approached me barking.
“He then attacked my face.