EXCLUSIVE: SF dog attack survivor thought she was 'going to die' in mauling
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Nearly two weeks after a brutal dog attack in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood, Amber King said she is still coping with the physical and emotional trauma of the incident while beginning a long recovery process.
King said she continues to relive the attack and struggles with nightmares.
"That was excruciating and the sound. People were just saying, 'Oh my God, her hands,' and I could see the blood everywhere," King said.
When asked whether she had been able to sleep, King replied: "No, I have nightmares."
King recalled yelling for help as a pit bull pinned her down and attacked her for 10 to 15 minutes before police arrived.
PREVIOUS STORY: Woman with life-threatening injuries after Tenderloin dog attack; dog dead: SFPD
"I was going to die. If I didn't fight, I was going to die. I kept hearing the crunching sound of the dog biting me," King said. "The dog was walking over me back and forth like a lion- man."
King said she used her arms to protect herself during the attack. After multiple surgeries and a week in the hospital, she said she is beginning to regain some movement in her fingers.
"This one. My left hand is completely damaged. Every nerve, every bone," King said.
The fingers in her right arm are beginning to move.
"Starting off with baby steps. You know my fingers a little bit because they look like they move easily. They don't. It's very difficult," she said.
King, who is homeless, said she had been waiting for city housing in the Tenderloin when someone she barely knew asked her to watch his dog. She said she tied the dog to a post, and seconds later it charged at her.
"The guy was moving and he needed help. Me am a helper. So I just happened to help, and I had the dog tied up. How? The dog got loose. I don't know," King said.
An act of kindness that has changed her life.
King said she was grateful for a bystander identified as Ashley, who helped during the incident.
RELATED: SF looks to strengthen dog safety protocols following brutal Tenderloin pit bull attack
"Yes, thank God for that Ashley lady. Whoever she is, I'd like to give her an extra thank you for coming and acknowledging what I was going through. I really appreciate that," King said.
The two later spoke on the phone.
"I'm the lady you helped that got mauled by the dog," King told Ashley.
"I know, I'm glad to see you're okay," said Ashley.
"Thank you so much for your help," said Amber.
As King continues recovering, a friend has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help with extensive recovery she has ahead.
"Hopefully this is a breakthrough to where I get my housing and things get a little bit easier. Maybe I had gone through this I don't know. I'm so glad to be here. Glad to be here," King said.
King said she is grateful for the life-saving treatment she received at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. She also said she wants the dog's owner to come forward.
The San Francisco Police Department said no one has been held accountable for the attack. It remains unclear whether investigators have identified the dog's owner.
