A Massachusetts woman was savaged by a large raccoon after letting her dogs into her backyard over the weekend.
Katharine VanBuskirk, 69, of Somerville, suffered horrific injuries to her arms, legs and face after the ordeal on Saturday morning.
She had just let her two dogs, Blue, a three-year-old black cocker spaniel, and Rubi, a one-year-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel, outside when the animal lunged at her.
‘I was almost instantaneously leapt on by a raccoon’, she recalled in an interview with the Boston Globe.
‘It was a giant ball of viciousness. It bit me and scratched me. It attacked relentlessly, from every angle, it was terrifying’, she said. She also described it as ‘monstrous’ to WCVB.
VanBuskirk recently underwent shoulder surgery and had one arm in a sling during the attack. She fought the animal off while screaming: ‘Help me!’
The feral animal scratched her eyelid and cheek so bad that blood started pouring out of her face.
Images of her injuries show VanBuskirk with deep gashes on her left cheek, her arms and legs are also covered in similar marks, with bite marks also visible.
Katherine VanBuskirk, seen here, suffered injuries to her face, arms and legs after the attack on Saturday
She described the animal which attacked her as being a ‘giant ball of viciousness’
She managed to free herself and made her way back indoors where she immediately called 911.
VanBuskirk was then taken to Mount Auburn Hospital where she was treated with rabies shots and antibiotics.
Both of hers dogs escaped unscathed and she is expected to make a full recovery from the attack.
She later discovered from a neighbor that they had seen a raccoon with four cubs in the area.
VanBuskirk believes the animal was on her back porch looking for food in her compost bin. She has since moved it on to her street.
Despite her ordeal, she told NBC Boston that she remains a nature fan, adding: ‘I just want other people to be careful. I’m gonna never blame the raccoon.’
The animals are found all over the state of Massachusetts, except for Nantucket, and are typically active at night, dawn and dusk.
According to the state wildlife site, they can carry a number of diseases including rabies.
VanBuskirk was taken to Mount Auburn Hospital where she was treated with rabies shots and antibiotics
VanBuskirk believes the animal was on her back porch looking for food in her compost bin
Nearly all patients who develop a rabies infection die from the disease, which has a death rate of 99.9 percent.
Authorities urge anyone bitten by a raccoon to wash the wound before seeking immediate medical care.
To limit the risk of contact, homeowners are told to limit the access of food in or near a property.
Cayenne pepper is often used as a repellent due to their sensitive noses and a dislike of strong smells.
