Woman whose face was torn off by dogs shares progress four years on from violent attack
Warning: This article contains graphic images which some readers may find distressing.
A woman whose face was decimated after she was 'viciously' mauled by two dogs has shared an update on her recovery four years on.
Jacqueline Durand miraculously survived the violent attack in December 2021, but was tragically left with life-changing injuries after she was bitten 'hundreds' of times.
At the age of 22, she launched a pet sitting business, while she was studying at the University of Texas - but horror struck while the 'lifelong dog lover' was caring for two animals.
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"When I felt the skin hanging from my face, I thought I was going to die," she previously told CBS News.
Two dogs - a German Shepherd mix and a Pit bull mix - pounced on Jacqueline at a home in Coppell, Texas, biting her 'all over her body' more than 800 times.
But the 'most severe damage was done to her face', a GoFundMe which was set up in 2022 by a family friend to raise funds for her medical bills states.
Warning that she faced a 'very difficult and long road ahead', the donation page explained: "While being mauled, she lost both ears, her nose, her upper lip, her cheeks and lost essentially all jaw muscles along with the capability to chew food. Initially, her surgeries were lifesaving in nature. Her subsequent surgeries have been and will be reconstruction of her face."
Jacqueline underwent a seven-hour operation in wake of the horror attack, which saw her lose almost 30 percent of her blood.
She has told social media users that medics had to 'resuscitate her four times', while she was also placed into a medically-induced coma for a week due to the severity of her injuries.
Four years on from this traumatic event, the US woman has undergone a whopping 30 surgeries and now shares regular updates about her recovery online.
She had her most recent operation last Saturday (10 January) and Jacqueline explained that surgeons had taken 'a tendon from her leg and put it in her face to suspend her bottom lip' in an Instagram post.
And on the fourth anniversary of the 'devastating' dog attack, which took place in December 2025, she uploaded a video to YouTube reflecting on how far she has come.
"It's crazy that I have survived four years of this," Jacqueline said. "I'm so, so grateful for how I have progressed to be who I am now, mentally and physically.
"I've gone through so much, but I am who I am now because of what I've been through. Not that I'd ever say that I wanted to go through this, but I will say I am stronger than I have ever been mentally because I've had to overcome so much. I could not do it without my friends, my family, my sweet dogs in heaven, God, my medical team and everyone involved."
She said she had experienced a 'lot of change' throughout 2025, explaining: "Some hard, some good. But overall, I'm just grateful for being here."
Jacqueline said she had found previous anniversaries of the dog attack 'really hard' as she spent the day 'dwelling' on the horror incident, but she now takes a different approach.
"Today, I focused on distracting myself, being surrounded by those who love me the most and just focusing on the fact that I survived, the fact that I'm still here, the fact that I have a purpose," she continued.
"Literally, I was knocking on heaven's door and I was revived four times. It's been tough. It's been good, everything in between.
"I've progressed so much and I'm so, so grateful for my past and current medical teams. I could not do that without them with their expertise."
She also heaped praise on the army of supporters she has acquired on social media, while adding that she intends to continue to be 'an advocate for those who are going through a hard time' and 'survivors of hard trauma'.
Jacqueline added: "It's been a crazy four years, but you know what? The change, the progress, just everything that I've lived through in the last four years...the people I've met, just wow.
"I wouldn't be where I am today without God and the people who have stuck by me."
After she shared snaps of her face online in wake of her latest surgery, people flooded the comment section with well wishes for Jacqueline.
One said: "You truly look so good!! Can’t even imagine how it’ll look once healed! Hang in there warrior, you can do hard things!"
Another wrote: "This is amazing! Such progress. The surgeon is amazing and I envision more success with each procedure. Thank you for sharing as always, praying for you!"
And a third added: "Such a strong warrior. Looks good."
Topics: Animals, Dogs, Health, US News, Social Media, Mental Health
Olivia Burke