Peter Fitzgerald, from Malabar, was attacked on Saturday evening while walking his own dog, Kimbo.
As he tried to pull his pet away from an attack by a loose pit bull type dog, the snarling animal turned on him, pushing him to the ground and ripping the skin from his head.
Kimbo leapt to his defense and scared the vicious animal away.
Covered in blood, the 58-year-old said he crawled on his hands and knees to the home of nearby residents who called the police and ambulance service.
Mr Fitzgerald was then transferred by ambulance from Royal Cornwall Hospital to Derriford Hospital, in Plymouth, where he was treated by a plastic surgery team.
Recovering at home from a three-hour operation that included having hundreds of stitches and staples in his scalp, he said he was left traumatized by the experience.
He said: "If it hadn't been for my dog helping me I would be dead. I suffered a broken neck a few years ago so I am limited in mobility and cannot lift my arms above my head so was unable to fight off this dog.
"It was absolutely horrific. I was covered in blood and could only crawl to get help. If that dog had attacked a child they would have been killed."
He added: "My scalp was literally hanging down the back of my neck – I had to be held upside down for them to carry out the surgery."
However he said that when he returned home on Monday he was told the dog was still walking the streets with its owner.
He said: "That dog should not be allowed out as it is dangerous. I am a dog lover and would never want to see a dog put to sleep but that one is dangerous and could kill someone."
Truro police want to speak to anyone with information about the animal.
Sergeant Marc Sayers said: "Dog bite incidents like this are very rare but this man has sustained horrendous injuries which are the worst I have ever seen in an incident like this. We would remind dog owners that they are responsible for their animals and have to be able to control it.
"If the dog is aggressive or difficult to control it must be on a lead at all times and, if necessary, wear a muzzle."
(West Briton - Jun 25, 2015)
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