Girl, 17, mauled by a group of 16 dogs

On July 17, around 7 a.m., a 17-year-old named Tracy went for her usual jog in Newberry Springs, California. It was supposed to be routine. A dirt road near her family’s home, on the way to a workout facility by the community center. I’ve been on those kinds of runs before — you expect maybe a stray cat, not what happened to her.

A pack of dogs attacked Tracy. Not 1 or 2. 16. None of these are said to have been fenced or leashed. A neighbor who heard her screams from across the street was the one to call 911. When paramedics arrived, she was covered in deep bites and cuts. She was hospitalized in Loma Linda Children’s Hospital and received over 500 stitches.

Her mom, Maria Azpeitia, told reporters she didn’t recognize her own daughter at first. “She was so dirty, covered in dirt, so I couldn't recognize my daughter.” Her stepdad said it looked like the dogs had gone after every part of her body except her ankles.

She comes home with photos taken in the hospital, her leg in a cast, heavily bandaged sections of her body, bite marks. When she was discharged from the hospital, she couldn’t walk on her own. She isn’t physically starting her senior year, but instead is in rehab and visiting doctors.

The mental toll is hitting her hard too. She’s having nightmares and struggling to sleep. A GoFundMe has pulled in over $8,000 toward its $12,000 goal to cover medical expenses and recovery costs.

Sixteen dogs were seized from a nearby property. The San Bernardino Police Department hasn’t given an update yet on what happens next.

Stories like this stick with you. I’ve gone jogging at odd hours before, earbuds in, thinking the worst thing I’d run into is an uneven sidewalk. Now I’m thinking about how fast something like this can happen, even close to home. Stay alert out there.