'That dog would've killed me': Woman attacked by neighbor's pit bull

LANCASTER COUNTY, S.C. — Lakeshia Campbell, 31, was attacked by a dog that left her with injuries to her face, neck, upper arms and shoulder, according to a police report.

"I'm not really sure I should even be here today," Campbell told Channel 9.

One of her hands was mangled, and the pit bull bit through her cheek.

[PIT BULL ATTACK: 'It literally is like getting eaten alive']

"I've got bite marks on my legs, on my chest, on my arms. I got stitches on the outside and inside of my mouth and my hand," she said.

On Friday, she was in her yard on Kershaw-Camden Highway in Heath Springs, taking one of her dogs off a chain to bring it indoors. She said that was when a neighbor's pit bull attacked her.

Campbell wasn't afraid of the dog because it had gotten loose before and walked into her yard. She said it usually just sniffed her dogs and it had never shown aggressive behavior before.

She said she's lucky the dogs' owners were home.

"I think it should be put down because if they weren't here, that dog would've killed me," she said.

The owners, who heard her screaming, came outside and called the dog off of her.

The Lancaster County Sheriff's Office and Animal Control responded to the call, and Campbell told them she didn't want anything to happen to the dog, according to an incident report.

Animal Control did not seize the dog, and sheriff's deputies told Channel 9 they don't always take an animal after an attack.

Deputies said there were no previous reports of the dog being vicious. The owners were cited for not having a rabies tag and for allowing the dog off their property.

Deputies also sent a bite report to the Department of Health and Environmental Control, and the dog is now quarantined at home.

Campbell, however, said the dog could easily break free again.

"I don't really think it should be over there because it can get off again and do it again if somebody is outside," she said.

Campbell told Channel 9 that her neighbors were extremely apologetic about what happened and offered to help her in any way.

Sheriff's deputies said the dog could still be declared dangerous, but a legal process has not started.  Campbell said she wants to press charges, but she told deputies after the attack that she didn't want to file charges.

Later, Campbell said she wasn't thinking clearly because of the extreme pain and shock.

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