Woman, Whose Face Was Torn Off by 2 Dogs, Shares Candid Update 4 Years After the Horrific Attack By Toria Sheffield 73

A young woman, whose face was torn off by two dogs while she was pet sitting, is sharing a candid update years later.

Jacqueline Durand was 22 and a student at the University of Texas at Dallas when the mauling occurred in December 2021. She had been hired to take care of a German Shepherd and a pit bull — dogs she had met before and believed to be safe — when they attacked her upon entering the home.

Durand suffered hundreds of bites all over her body, with the most severe damage done to her face, according to a GoFundMe that was established to raise money for her extensive surgeries and recovery. She lost her ears, nose and lips in the attack, and she also suffered extreme jaw damage. (Durand was scheduled for her 30th and most recent surgery on Jan. 10.)

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Durand shared a video last month, in which she updated her followers on the four-year anniversary of the life-altering attack.

“It is officially four years of survival to the day,” she said in the YouTube clip.

“Crazy that I have survived four years of this,” Durand continued, adding that she is “so, so grateful” for who she has become since the attack.

“Not that I would ever say that I wanted to go through this. But I will say I am stronger than I have ever been mentally because I’ve had to overcome so much,” she further explained. 

Durand then said that the past year specifically brought about “a lot of change.”

“Some hard, some good. But overall, it’s just been being grateful for being here. I mean, I don’t know what else to say on a day like this,” she explained in the YouTube video.

According to Durand, the first few anniversaries of her attack were “really hard,” because she “dwelled” on what happened to her.

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Changing up her outlook more recently, Durand said, “I focused on distracting myself, being surrounded by those who love me the most and just focusing on the fact that I survived, the fact that I’m still here, the fact that I’m a part of this.”

“I was saved four times,” Durand added, referring to how doctors resuscitated her multiple times after the dog attack. 

“Literally, I was knocking on heaven’s door, and I was revived four times. And it’s then four years. I think it’s my golden anniversary. You know how they have a golden birthday? I think it’s my golden anniversary,” she continued with a laugh. 

Durand concluded her message by thanking those who have supported her over the years.

She also let her followers know that she is there for them too, stating, “I want you to know that I’m here for you, no matter where you are in this world, whatever you’ve been through, I’m here. And just like how you’ve been here, I am here for you.”

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“You are not alone,” Durand continued. “If you feel alone, I understand, I get it. Even if you have a community, there are times that you just get all in your head, and you feel like you’re lonely, ’cause they don’t understand … And I’m here to say, as much as I can relate, I’m here.”

“Here’s to the next four years,” she added.