A Rathdrum woman suffered a severe facial injury when she was bitten by a dog late Saturday and was transported to the hospital for emergency surgery. 

Amanda Norton is recovering at home after the sudden attack by a Golden Newfoundland at a friend’s home on West Kamloops Drive.

“The victim arrived holding a small dog, and after putting it down and leaning over to pet the Newfoundland, it bit her,” said Rathdrum Police Chief Dan Haley. “Neither dog was familiar with the other. The Newfoundland didn’t appear to be provoked from what I read in the report filed.” 

According to a Rathdrum police report, Norton was visiting a friend who was leaving the next day for the Marines. The owners of the Newfoundland, Carl and Katie Thompson, were not home at the time of the incident.

According to the report, the Thompsons said their 11-year-old Newfoundland had never bitten anyone.

“They said they didn’t know people were going to be in their home and that they usually leave the dog in a kennel,” the police report said. “But because they were going to be gone all day, they decided to leave it out to run around the house.”  

The report said when police arrived, Norton was screaming, holding a towel to her face and bleeding from her lip and two people were helping her.

The dog bit off part of Norton's lip, police said, adding that the Thompsons said they would be putting the dog down.

Crystal Reese, a co-worker of Norton, has set up a GoFundMe account to help cover her medical bills and daily expenses. Norton is the mother of two children and is unable to work while she’s at home healing from the wound. 

"Amanda is truly a kind, hardworking, and selfless person. She is a dedicated caregiver who is deeply loved by all her clients,” Reese wrote on GoFundMe. "I’ve had the privilege of working alongside her for nearly two years, and anyone who knows her knows how much she gives to others, both as a co-worker and as a mom. We are all devastated by what she has gone through." 

Reese told The Press on Wednesday that she’s hoping to raise $10,000 through the GoFundMe account. 

“More than $3,500 has been raised so far. Every single dollar will go directly to Amanda to support her during this incredibly difficult time,” Reese said. “Any donation, no matter the size, will make a meaningful difference for Amanda and her family.”