A WOMAN needed plastic surgery after a dog bit her face.

Anouk Beanie, who was left bleeding in the street after the attack, said the dog’s owners just ran off.

Ms Beanie, 40, of Monkwick, Colchester, was waiting for her partner outside a fish and chip shop in Queen Elizabeth Way, Colchester, when the dog and three teenagers approached.

Ms Beanie was crouching down when she said “what a nice dog”.

But the next moment the animal was latched on to her face.

Ms Beanie had to hit the dog to get it off. It then ran away with the teenagers.

Ms Beanie was left unable to see with blood pouring down her face.

She said: “It happened so quickly. I’m a bit blurry about it now, but at the time I apparently told my other half I had to punch it to get it off.

“By the time my other half came out of the chippy, they had gone.”

Ms Beanie was taken to Colchester General Hospital with her partner Manda Copestick before being transferred to Broomfield Hospital later that evening for plastic surgery.

She had a scratched cornea as well as bleeding from the bridge of her nose where the dog had torn her skin.

Surgeons carried out a two hour operation so they could repair the skin.

Ms Beanie stayed in hospital for three days before being released. Her stitches were taken out this week and she has thanked the “amazing” staff for their care.

She said: “When I was in hospital, I didn’t realise how much it had mentally hurt me, but today was the first day I went out and I really suffered with anxiety.

“I can’t look at a dog the same way. All I see is teeth.

“I have two dogs myself who are really soft, Benji and Amber, but I started shaking coming home from the hospital thinking about them.

“I live near Friday Woods, but I won’t be able to go in there again. If a dog comes running, I won’t be able to deal with it.

“I have said a number of times I don’t blame the dog in these sort of attacks, but I have reported it to police because you can’t have a dog running around biting people’s faces. I have always found it really stupid when people say they are scared of dogs and now I can relate to it.”

The attack happened at about 7pm on February 14 and the dog is described as brown or black. Anyone with information should call Essex Police on 101.