Woman who survived near-fatal San Francisco dog attack speaks out

A woman left with life-threatening injuries after a dog attack in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood has been discharged from the hospital after undergoing multiple surgeries. According to a GoFundMe, Amber King had injuries to her arms and hands, resulting in a loss of mobility in both arms after the Sept. 8 attack. 

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“She needs 24-hour care,” Rachel Guido, the organizer of the fundraiser and King’s friend, wrote. “… She needs help with everything, but she’s here by the grace of God; she’s alive.”

Video shared on the Citizen app, where users can stream live video of crime and safety incidents, showed King prone on the ground near the 500 block of Larkin Street, with bystanders and police trying to remove the animal from the scene. Nearly two weeks after the attack, King spoke about her experience for the first time, telling KGO-TV that an individual she knew didn’t know very well asked her to watch their dog. Although she tied up the animal, it was able to break away and started to attack her, biting her arms and hands. 

“I was going to die. If I didn’t fight, I was going to die. I kept hearing the crunching sound of the dog biting me,” King told the outlet. “The dog was walking over me back and forth like a lion.”

King estimates the attack lasted 10 to 15 minutes before police arrived. Law enforcement and animal control officers then used a catchpole to detain the dog, which later died at the scene. 

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King, who is currently homeless, said she’s hopeful she will be able to get permanent housing as she recovers, telling KGO-TV she’s “glad to be here.” 

The San Francisco Police Department told SFGATE on Wednesday that it has not made any arrests in the case.