Joshua Dixon said he once enjoyed spending time with his two dogs, Shoop and Bam Bam. However, everything changed in December 2007 when an incident involving the dogs left him with life-threatening injuries and permanently changed the course of his life.
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Recalling the terrifying moment, he said: “I felt numb and cold
“I kept screaming, but no one could hear me.
“When my dad finally came outside and saw what happened, he rushed me inside and asked for mum to call for an ambulance.
“All I remember saying was: ‘Why can’t I see?’ The pain began to fade into shock.”
Joshua explained that Bam Bam had only been living with his family for a few months before the attack. He said the dog had always made him uncomfortable because of the way it behaved around him.
He added: “He kept barking at me and lunged whenever I walked past him.
“While he and Shoop were our pets, they were also used to protect the home.
“Shoop was a sweetheart – but Bam Bam, I always had a bad feeling about.
“He was never gentle and always seemed like he was holding himself back from attacking.
“My dad was overly confident no dog would ever harm us, but I didn’t feel certain about that.
“Bam Bam was dangerous.”
Despite those concerns, Joshua never imagined that he would eventually become the victim of a brutal attack involving both dogs.
Joshua said the incident occurred after he returned from school and went through the back gate.
He recalled: “It was after school and I went through the back gate.
“Bam Bam ran out and I remember being warned not to let him escape.
“I pulled at his tail and shut the gate behind me.
“As I turned, I slipped on black ice and he approached me barking.
“He then attacked my face.
“Shoop came out and tried to attack Bam Bam, but, in the process, she pulled at my face.
“I was being mauled by both dogs.”
The attack left Joshua with catastrophic injuries to his face. He lost both ears, his entire nose, his upper and lower left eyelids and his entire left cheek. He also lost much of his right side and part of the left side of his lips.
His injuries were so severe that he required extensive medical treatment and reconstructive surgery.
Over the years, Joshua has undergone 62 reconstructive procedures, including facial surgeries, skin grafts and other operations aimed at helping him breathe and speak.
Following the attack, Joshua underwent an intensive 26-hour surgery. He was also placed in a coma for 26 hours as doctors worked to treat his devastating injuries.
The attack also resulted in the deaths of both dogs.
For Joshua, however, surviving the physical injuries was only the beginning. He was also forced to deal with years of emotional pain and the way strangers treated him because of his appearance.
Joshua said his facial injuries changed the way people interacted with him. He recalled being bullied, insulted and treated cruelly because of his scars.
He said: “I’ve been stared at, bullied, yelled at and called names such as: ‘Ebola face’, ‘Chainface’ or ‘Zombie face’.
“I’ve been spat on by [people] passing by and been told things like ‘Why are you still alive? I would kill myself if I were you.’
“Or ‘You should die; you look disturbing’.
“I’ve lost friends and family due to my facial impairments and I’ve been uninvited from gatherings.
“In school, I ate alone in the corner of the lunchroom.
“No one – except my high school sweetheart, who is now my wife – would let me sit next to them.”
Despite the rejection and cruelty he experienced, Joshua refused to allow his appearance to determine the kind of life he would have.
He said: “Despite this, I didn’t let it stop me from trying to live my life and accept my reality as normal.
“[Before my wife], I was stood up on many dates and was told ‘You look uglier in person’.
“My wife, however, has never judged me.
“Not even when we were kids.
“She loves me in a way that makes me forget I look different.
“She sees beyond my scars and parts of me I didn’t even know were still there.”
Despite everything he went through, Joshua said he did not develop hatred toward dogs or pit bulls.
Instead, he believes the tragedy also taught him important lessons about responsibility, animal behaviour and recognising warning signs.
He explained: “The whole ordeal has taken away my sense of a normal childhood.
“My life became hospitals instead of playgrounds and I had to grow up much faster than most kids.
“At the same time, it gave me purpose.
“I don’t hate pitbulls.
“I can’t hate something that God gave life to.
“Humans failed them.
“I don’t live in fear; but I do live in awareness.
“Trauma teaches you to read situations differently.
“I pay attention to body language, energy and how animals are handled by their owners.
“I don’t put myself in situations where I feel unsafe.
“And getting a dog was part of me reclaiming control rather than letting fear control me.”
Joshua has since chosen to speak openly about his experience and the lessons he believes can be learned from it.
He said: “I chose not to give up and, instead, share my life openly.
“I’ve persevered through everything to build a life of purpose.
“With education, responsibility and respect for animals, this could’ve been prevented.
“The warning signs were there.
“This wasn’t just about the dogs; it was about human decisions.
“Don’t ever assume: ‘It won’t happen to me’ and respect animals for what they are.
“All it takes is one decision to change yours – or somebody else’s – life forever.”
