'I wanted to protect my babies': Phoenix woman has arm amputated after dog attack

After being brutally attacked by one of her dogs, 25-year-old Kalista Munoz had her right arm amputated. Despite the challenges she faces every single day, Munoz is committed to staying positive.

“Everyone has a sad story, and I can make mine sound like the saddest, but that’s not what I’m trying to do with myself,” said Munoz.

While Munoz has always loved animals, she told The Arizona Republic that the calling to rescue strays and abandoned animals found her. Since Munoz got her first pet -- a turtle -- she has been caring for abandoned animals, including kittens found in a box and dogs left at a dog park. Munoz currently has four dogs and three cats.

“I love animals but I never imagined that I’d have this many. But I know these animals have come to me and … I know I can give an animal the home they need,” said Munoz.

This is what Munoz was doing with Zona, a stray that a friend of hers found in front of his apartment complex. She'd been caring for Zona for three months when she received a donation to get the dog neutered. The next day, July 2, Zona suddenly darted out of Munoz’s room and ran downstairs, pinning another one of Munoz’s dogs to the wall.

“There was no hesitation on my end, I wanted to protect my babies,” explained Munoz.

Munoz did her best to gain control of the situation, which she described as a “battle.” She ordered her other dogs upstairs and was able to move Zona into the bathroom as the dog bit both of her arms. Once in the bathroom, Munoz pinned the dog but could not stop the attack. Munoz said she estimated the incident lasted for 45 minutes; she remembers losing a lot of blood and feeling dehydrated.

Fortunately, Munoz’s neighbors were moving that day. They heard her cries for help and called the police.

"Phoenix PD was not what I needed them to be in such a traumatic situation.."

But Munoz still faced an uphill battle getting the help she needed once Phoenix police arrived.

“Phoenix PD was not what I needed them to be in such a traumatic situation, which is kind of alarming considering that’s who we depend on for various situations like this," she said.

Munoz said that it took Phoenix police officers a long time to break down her fence and almost five minutes to enter the house despite her backdoor being unlocked.

Munoz stated that the police dragged her by her feet to the backyard patio chair. Despite her requests, officers did not cover her exposed chest. Bystanders attempting to offer medical aid were instructed to keep their distance. It wasn't until a different officer arrived much later at the house that her need for a tourniquet was recognized.

“Unfortunately, I have a theory that if they had put tourniquets on me in my time of need, I would not have grown an infection and I would have still had my f***ing arm,” she explained.

Despite her frustrations, Munoz said she is incredibly grateful for the officer who came to her rescue, whom she called a “saint.”

“That officer who came running out telling me I was going to be OK, that’s the type of officer I like to see,” said Munoz.

When Arizona Republic reached out to Phoenix PD, they provided the following statement:

"Officers were called to an ‘unknown trouble’ call at a residence near 15th Avenue and Missouri Avenue. When responding to a call for service, officers must assess the situation, determine an appropriate course of action, and respond accordingly. Within approximately 11 minutes, officers had gathered information from witnesses, secured the scene to ensure there was no ongoing threat to others, located the victim, separated her from a dangerous situation, and relocated the victim to receive EMS care."

When the ambulance arrived, Munoz was transported to a hospital and placed in an induced coma for a week. Despite the doctors' efforts to save her arm, it proved to be an uphill battle.

They went into her left leg to extract a central vein to replace the damaged one in her right arm, Munoz explained. Unfortunately, that procedure did not return feeling to her arm, and Munoz also developed a fatal infection. At this point, doctors told her that if they amputated the arm now, it would be possible to save the elbow and replace the upper arm with a prosthetic.

"It was my conscious decision," explained Munoz.

Munoz's amputation was successful, and she was able to receive a bionic arm prosthetic. Unfortunately, when the prototype arrived, her dogs got to it first. Munoz has requested another one, but since they are custom-made it will take some time.

Road to recovery

Returning to her daily tasks has been challenging, she said. Although Munoz is left-handed, the loss of her right arm significantly complicates her work as an assistant manager at a restaurant, where she carries dishes and busses tables.

Munoz said her bosses at work were empathetic and understanding when she returned to work. She's worked at the restaurant for seven years, and management knew she would continue to do her job well.

Munoz must also keep up with the needs of the seven animals in her care, which was no easy task even before the accident.

She is currently pursuing her master's degree in social justice at Arizona State University and is determined to finish by December. Given her coursework, which involves a significant amount of writing, the process takes longer with only one hand. While her professors have been understanding, Munoz has expressed some frustrations with ASU's formal process for accommodating disabled students.

“I’ve had to fill out the same form around five freaking times now. And I don’t know how else to tell them that losing an arm affects your academics,” said Munoz.

Telling her truth

Munoz expressed her commitment to sharing her story, hoping that some good can come from it.

“My motivation to tell my tale is that it brings exposure to disability, to self wellness, and to animal owners to be responsible," she said. "I am human and I have my bad days ... but I definitely take this as a very rewarding experience. My future ahead of me is so much bigger."

"Maybe all it needed to cost me was my arm to be able to be a great social worker and be better able to empathize with people,” she added.

Munoz is unsure of what she will do when she graduates in December, although she is leaning toward work that addresses systemic issues in the prison system.

Despite everything she has been through, Munoz said she holds no anger toward Zona, whom she still refers to as "her sweet angel." She said the dog, who was euthanized after the incident, was not himself when he attacked. Munoz wonders if the whole situation could have been avoided if she took in Zona sooner.

“When I see other animals like him in certain situations, it makes me very sad because there’s so much bad in this world," said Munoz. "Why can’t we just take ownership of being somewhat a good part?”

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix woman speaks out about having arm amputated after dog attack