On Wednesday afternoon, Amanda Sheridan (43) was flown to Dunedin Hospital with lacerations and puncture wounds to her arms and legs after trying to separate her two dogs who had begun fighting.
She returned home from hospital on Thursday with 20 stitches for two deep lacerations on her right leg, and puncture wounds to her right arm.
Miss Sheridan told the Otago Daily Times her chocolate Labrador-Rottweiler cross, Bozo, and Kahn, a bull mastiff cross, began fighting over food.
''I jumped in to intervene and got bitten by mistake.''
Miss Sheridan said she, with her daughter and two of her daughter's friends, threw a bucket of water over the dogs to stop them from fighting.
The water briefly settled the pair, but Kahn then began fighting with Bozo again.
''They were fighting over food and I didn't want Bozo to get hurt so I tried to separate them. 'I should never have left them both out at the same time with the food.''
Miss Sheridan said she intervened by laying over Bozo to protect him, but got two deep lacerations in her right leg, ripping her flesh open, as well as bites to her right arm.
''My dogs didn't have a scratch on them - I got all of it.''
She said 15-year-old Bozo was going blind, so would not have known whom he was biting.
A dog ranger from the Clutha District Council visited Miss Sheridan yesterday and said there were no issues with her or the dogs.
Bozo, a large dog, was curled up beside Miss Sheridan on the couch while she was recovering at home yesterday.
''I was so emotional. I was so worried about my dogs. I would do it again if it came down to it.''
Miss Sheridan has had Bozo since he was 6 months old.
Her daughter, Tori (16), said while Miss Sheridan was away, Bozo moped for her.
''When she came home he was licking Mum to see if she was OK. He was really worried.''
Miss Sheridan also looks after her son's bulldog-Staffordshire terrier cross, Molly (5).
She thanked the ''awesome'' paramedics, the rescue helicopter crew, and hospital staff who had helped her.
''The staff and crew were just awesome. I've also had so many Facebook messages from Lawrence people and friends further away who just want to help. Thank you so much.''
(Otago Daily Times - Dec 22, 2012)
