Bite victim still dog-lover

Holly Prebble had to have surgery after a rottweiler bit her face. Photo / Janna Dixon

Five months after having the bottom part of her lip bitten off by a rottweiler, Holly Prebble has both a new lip and a new dog in her life - a rottweiler cross.

Prebble, 22, was bitten on the face while working at the Animates pet store in West Auckland in July, after a client brought his rottweiler into the store and Prebble patted the dog on the head. She was rushed to Middlemore hospital for emergency plastic surgery, and for treatment for puncture wounds in her face and arms.

During six hours of surgery, in two procedures, a fine layer of skin, grafted from Prebble's thigh, was stitched onto her lip.

"I wasn't in much pain. The worst thing was having all my meals delivered in puree form."

The upbeat AUT film graduate says the grafted skin has a different texture and is paler than the rest of her lip. But she is pleased with the results of the surgery.

"We're really amazed by how good it was. They're really good at what they do-they're excellent."

Prebble was back at work within three or four weeks, and still works at the store part-time while doing freelance film work.

She hasn't heard from the dog owner and he hasn't come into the store. But she holds no grudge, saying it was her mistake to pat the rottweiler on the head.

And the incident hasn't left her scared of dogs. Prebble recently moved into a new flat and now co-habitates quite comfortably with her flatmate's two dogs - a rottweiler/doberman cross and a great dane.

"So I'm not scared but I'm a bit more wary about dogs I don't know."