Missouri Woman's Lips Ripped Off By Friend's Dog, Leaves Her Needing Multiple Surgeries

A Missouri woman's lips were disfigured after her friend's dog ripped them off in a horrific attack.

Charlie O'Dell, 30, was visiting a friend's house on Nov. 19 when her dog leaped at her and tore off the left side of her lips, leaving her unrecognizable and in need of multiple reconstruction surgeries, the New York Post reported Wednesday, citing Kennedy News and Media.

The young mum of three said when the Labrador jumped at her, she thought it was a basic canine characteristic, but little did she imagine it would ultimately launch the savage attack.

"I didn't expect the dog to attack me. It happened so quickly. It was just like how normal dogs see someone and come over and jump on them," the woman told the outlet. "I didn't even realize it took my lip off."

O'Dell's friend immediately put the dog in the bathroom before coming to her aide. The victim said when she pulled her hand away from her mouth, she fainted at the sight of the massive amount of blood that was pouring out from the wound.

"That's when I noticed all the blood was pouring out. I was screaming when I saw my face in the bathroom mirror," O'Dell added. "[All] of my clothes were soaked in blood, and their [my friends'] clothes were soaked too."

She added that after telling her friend that she needed to go to the hospital, she passed out. "I just remember saying that I needed to go to the hospital and my friend's face of shock and terror and then I passed out."

O'Dell was rushed to a nearby hospital, where a plastic surgeon stitched up her wounds. However, she can barely eat solid food now and has been on a liquid diet since, according to a GoFundMe page raised to help her with her expenses as she is currently unemployed.

O'Dell, however, said she isn't holding any grudges against anyone.

Her friend was flabbergasted at the dog's behavior. "My friend went through a traumatic experience too, witnessing all that," O'Dell said. "I know I'm going through something traumatic too, but I'm very empathetic and I can't imagine how it would feel for her to have to witness that. It wasn't my friend's fault."

Following the incident, the dog was surrendered to the city of St. Louis.