Meghan Reynolds from Grindon was walking with a friend through Herrington Country Park when she was attacked by a German Shepherd.
The two girls had gone over to stroke the dog, which was on a long lead accompanied by its owners - a couple who foster children in Sunderland.
Though Meghan never touched the animal, it turned on her after being petted by her companion, who was not injured in the attack.
Meghan said: "I don't remember much. It's all a bit blurry. I was coming home from a barbeque and it was sunny so we'd walked through the park.
"It all happened really quickly, my friend stroked it and then all of a sudden it was on top of me, it pulled me down with my hair and it was attacking my face.
"I'm okay. We've had loads of my friends and family round and everyone's been really nice and my brother has bought me a new pair of shoes.
"The stitches are out now but I still don't really like everyone seeing my face like this yet. But it'll be better when the swelling goes down."
The dog owners and passers-by stayed with the teenager for forty minutes waiting for an ambulance to arrive because of a high number of life-threatening call-outs.
Eventually a police officer decided to drive Meghan to Sunderland Royal Hospital himself, where she endured four hours of surgery to repair her face.
Her mum Carol said: "I'm furious. What if she'd gone in to shock, isn't that life-threatening? Thank God for the police officer who was there, he was absolutely brilliant.
"I was so worried when I got a call, I didn't really know what to expect, or what she'd look like I just knew it was a dog attack.
"It was heart-breaking. There was blood everywhere, it had ripped right from her mouth to her cheek, and near her eye.
"She's been so brave, it's me that's been a wreck. She has her down moments. She's upset about the way her mouth looks, but she just finds it from somewhere to get herself back up."
According to the Government's Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, who are responsible for legislation regarding dangerous dogs, nine children and seven adults have been killed in dog attacks in the UK since 2005.
Northumbria Police statistics show reported cases of dog attacks in the North East have fallen over the past three years, with 32 dog attacks in 2012, 44 dog attacks in 2011 and 62 dog attacks in 2010.
The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, which aims to protect people from injury or from fear of dogs, makes it a criminal offence to allow any dogs to be out of control in a public place.
It also bans ownership of Pit Bull Terriers, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Braziliero, thought applications to exempt dogs can be made.
Moves to toughen the law are being made, with the exemption application fees increasing in July 2013, and the family of Jade Anderson, a 14-year-old girl killed by a pack of aggressive dogs, campaigning for the law to include out of control dogs on private as well as public property.
(Sky - June 7, 2013)
