Kristine Rebber likes picturing Mytoka Petry’s big smile.
She can see it in her memory: Petry bartending at a birthday party last November, people jostling each other, orders coming in fast. None of it fazed Petry, a mother of two.
She expertly crafted drinks while laughing with guests.
As always, Petry, 47, was “on top of it,” her friend said.
Now, the woman Rebber has known since they were teenagers lies in a hospital bed.
A pack of dogs attacked Petry on July 15, injuring her so badly that her life was in danger.
At around 8:00 a.m. that day, police received a medical-assistance call from Columbia Boulevard and Upland Drive in North Portland, the Police Bureau said in a statement.
When officers arrived in the industrial area, which was also the site of a homeless encampment, they found a “rather chaotic scene,” police said.
Eight dogs had attacked Petry and two other people who tried to intervene, injuring all of them, according to police. Petry was rushed to a hospital.
It’s unclear why Petry was near the encampment. She and her brother were walking in the area when the attack occurred, according to a GoFundMe page set up to support the family.
Multnomah County Animal Control Services, also at the scene, worked with a person at the encampment “who the dogs are familiar with” to corral the animals, police said. The dogs remain in the county’s custody, and what the next steps are will depend on the results of the ongoing investigation, county spokesperson Alicia Mendez said.
Nine days after the attack, the encampment in North Portland was nearly empty. Most of the people who’d been living there had packed up and left, according to a small group of people heading out that morning.
Police are still investigating the attack, and no arrests have been made. On Monday, a woman was indicted in a separate incident in which a dog allegedly killed a 6-year-old boy in Northeast Portland.
Petry, who worked as a medical assistant, grew up in Portland, Rebber said. She attended community college in Arizona and later moved back to her hometown. She is a single mother of two daughters, ages 24 and 18.
Petry remains in the intensive-care unit at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center and had to have an arm and an ear amputated, her family said in a written statement. She also sustained bleeding in her brain, according to the GoFundMe page.
Petry’s eye was injured, but doctors were able to save it, Rebber said. It’s unclear whether her vision will be fully restored, she said.
Julana Torres, who met Petry when they were teenagers attending Lincoln High School, said she was in “absolute shock” when she heard about the attack.
Torres recalled how she and Petry would go to Jamison Square together almost every day when their kids were young. Petry was always full of energy, Torres said, running into the water and chasing the kids around the park.
Late last week Petry was taken off the ventilator, and she slowly became more alert.
Her voice has been growing stronger over the past few days, making it easier for her to communicate, Torres said. She even managed to crack a couple jokes.
Torres described Petry as a “fighter personality,” the kind of person who never gives up.
“She was never a victim,” Torres said. “She was just always a go-getter.”
Petry’s recovery likely will take months, according to the family’s statement. Through it all, her daughters have remained by her side, said childhood friend Monica Estrada.
Petry’s eldest daughter, 24, left her job in New Orleans to support her mother, she added.
Over the years, Petry has worked various jobs. At each one, she was popular, never hesitating to share her infectious smile, Rebber said.
“She’s just such a sweet, caring person,” Rebber said. “She didn’t deserve this.”
— Sujena Soumyanath is a reporter on The Oregonian/OregonLive’s public safety team. You can reach her at 503-221-4309 or ssoumyanath@oregonian.com.
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