A Texas woman was attacked so violently by a pair of dogs she had been hired to walk that she was left permanently disfigured, according to a civil lawsuit filed by the woman against the dog’s owners.
Jacqueline Claire Durand, a 22-year-old student at the University of Texas at Dallas, was knocked to the ground and mauled by Bender, a mixed-breed pit bull, and Lucy, a German shepherd mixed-breed, as soon as she opened the front door of the residence of Dr. Justin Avery Bishop and Ashley Jo Bishop on December 23.
“The Dogs knocked Jacqueline off balance, causing her to fall and drop her cell phone. Then, the Dogs violently attacked her head and face — mauling her catastrophically. The Dogs were so violent and bloodthirsty that they pulled all of Jacqueline’s clothes off, including her blue jeans,” the lawsuit reads.
The suit says the dogs bit off and ate both of Durand’s ears as well as her nose and lips, savagely eviscerating her face and leading to multiple surgeries since the attack.
The lawsuit alleges that the Bishops left their dogs unkenneled on the day Durand was hired to walk them despite knowing the animals had violent tendencies. It also points out a sign at the entrance to the home that read, “Crazy Dogs. Please Don’t Knock or Ring the Bell. Call or Text Instead.”
Following the incident, both dogs were taken into custody by the City of Coppell and have since been sentenced to euthanasia by a municipal judge, according to NBC Dallas-Fort Worth. However, Durand’s attorneys have appealed that judgement in order to conduct their own examination of the dogs.
Durand’s attorney Chip Brooker told NBC News he’s “amazed by her strength.” He also said the Bishops have not apologized for their dogs’ attack. She’s asking for a jury trial and more than $1 million in compensation.
The Bishops have not responded publicly to the suit.
