A man was left with life-changing injuries after being viciously attacked by his own rescue dog in a horrifying 45-minute ordeal. Matt Porter, 34, from Illinois, was forced to choke his Staffordshire Bull Terrier to death to save himself after she mauled him, leaving him fearing for his life.
Dog Attack Turns Life-Threatening
The brutal incident occurred while Matt was shaving, when his rescue dog, Karma, unexpectedly lunged at him. In a terrifying account of the attack, Matt described how he suffered over 70 bite wounds on both arms. He quickly lost control of his hands and realised he was in grave danger.
“Karma jumped on me, I pushed her off, she came back and bit right into my arm. There was blood spraying everywhere. It was terrifying,” he recalled.
Despite his desperate attempts to calm the dog down, the attack continued. “She was trying to go for my neck and I couldn’t get a grip on my feet because of all the blood. I was bleeding to death and I didn’t want to die,” Matt said.
With no other option, he used his forearms to choke the dog until she died. “Even though I’d lost the use of my hands, I used sheer willpower and choked her to death with my forearms,” he explained.
Life-Altering Injuries and Recovery
Matt’s mother rushed to his aid after he managed to call her before passing out from blood loss. He was later taken to hospital, where he underwent three reconstructive surgeries on both arms.
“The dog ate so much muscle that you could see the bone and tendons,” he said. “Surgeons had to put my muscle back in. I won’t be able to go back to work, I’m still in pain and my arms look disgusting.”
Due to his injuries, Matt has lost the use of his right hand and has been forced to quit his job as a tree surgeon. His family has since launched a fundraiser to help him cover his expenses while he recovers.
Warning Signs Ignored
Matt had rescued Karma four months prior after she was found malnourished behind a shop. His family encouraged him to adopt her to help him cope with a recent breakup.
“My fiancé left me a few months earlier so my mum thought it would be a good idea for me to get an animal to help me get through things,” he said. “She was so thin that you could see her ribs, so I fed her up until she was four stone.”
Despite showing affection, Karma displayed signs of aggression. “I noticed a few times that if I tried to grab her by the collar to take her outside, she would try and bite me,” Matt admitted.
Keeping Her Memory Alive
Despite the trauma, Matt does not hold the attack against Karma. “I love her and I just feel like she had a bad day,” he said. “I don’t hold it against her.”
Matt has had Karma cremated and keeps her ashes at home as a tribute to the dog he once rescued.
