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Taking a dog for a walk should be a nice, relaxing experience, but it became dangerously life-changing for one woman because of the leash she used during it.
In 2023, then 23-year-old Daniella Abreu was on a leisurely stroll around her Florida neighborhood with her dog, a 60 lb. husky named Blu. She typically would use a rope leash for their walks, but she noticed it had gotten too frayed and instead, grabbed the retractable one. It was a decision she will forever remember. That's because during the walk, Blu caught sight of a rabbit and pulled towards it. Trying to reel him in, Daniella pulled back on the leash. She explained to People magazine, "As he was running one way and I was pulling the opposite way, the friction of the leash just snapped back and repelled, hitting me right in my eye. It happened so fast but I knew it was bad immediately. The force of the leash was so traumatic."
Even though she was bleeding profusely, she was able to get home where she passed out in front of her parents. An ambulance took her to a nearby trauma center and doctors saw she suffered a fracture under her eye, a split open eyelid and a retina detachment. She needed emergency surgery, after which she learned that the accident had made her permanently blind in her right eye. The damage was so bad her eye had to be removed.
She spent months recovering and relearning but has since been fitted with a prosthetic eye and has readjusted to her new life, though she still struggles with dizziness and long-distance vision. Daniella is also sharing her story with others on her TikTok page.
She hopes her followers learn from what happened to her and she warns everyone about how important it is to use a rope leash and not a retractable one, no matter the size of your dog.
As for Blu, she still has him and told TCPalm.com, "My relationship with him is still as good as ever. I mean, he's my dog. He's my family." You can stay up to date with Daniella on TikTok.