The Brief
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- An Ocala woman was bitten in the face by a dog while feeding the homeless but remains committed to her weekly outreach.
- NB, a former homeless woman herself, is recovering and undergoing rabies treatment.
- Despite the attack, she and her husband say they’ll return to serve the community as usual.
An Ocala woman is recovering from injuries after being bitten in the face by a dog while distributing food to the homeless over the weekend.
What we know:
NB of Ocala was bitten in the face by a dog over the weekend while distributing food to the homeless with her husband, Willie.
The incident left her with facial injuries requiring multiple stitches and a rabies vaccination series. The dog is believed to belong to a homeless person in the area, but the owner has not been identified.
What we don’t know:
Authorities have not confirmed the identity of the dog’s owner, and it remains unclear whether the animal has been located or vaccinated. Animal control is investigating, but the lack of information may hinder further action.
The backstory:
Nicole and Willie Burch began feeding the homeless in Ocala a year ago, distributing about 80 food bags each week. Their mission is rooted in personal experience—N was once homeless herself and lived on Interstate 95 for five years.
Local perspective:
The B’ work is supported by Fellowship Baptist Church in Ocala, which now accepts food donations to aid in their outreach. Their ongoing presence has made them known in the community, and the attack has drawn attention to both the risks and the resilience involved in grassroots charity efforts.
What they’re saying:
NB was volunteering with her husband, W, when the dog, believed to belong to a homeless individual, suddenly lunged and bit her. The incident left B with visible wounds and required multiple stitches to her lip.
“The dog jumped up and bit my wife in the face,” W B told a 911 operator. “She got a big old hole in her face on her lip.”
The couple, who began their weekly outreach a year ago, package and deliver about 80 bags of food to local shelters.
Despite the attack, the couple said she remains committed to the cause.
“We do this because God has brought us from so far,” W said.
“This won’t stop us,” N said, adding that they plan to return to their usual distribution site next Saturday. “Same place, same place, giving out, feeding the homeless.”
What’s next:
N B is due for her second of three rabies shots on Tuesday.
Legal Help for Dog Bite Victims
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Source: fox35orlando
