Eden Prairie father-of-four mauled by two pit bulls outside his home

An Eden Prairie man, who a neighbor described as a staple in the community, faces a long road to recovery after being mauled by two pit bulls outside his home early Tuesday morning.

Emil Mammedov underwent emergency surgery to help repair his severe facial injuries, according to a GoFundMe page created by his neighbor and friend, Nadia Roife.

"We are all lucky that Emil is alive," Roife wrote. "Emil has been a staple in our community."

According to the fundraiser, Mammedov and his family recently moved to Minnesota from Las Vegas after losing the majority of their belongings last year in a catastrophic apartment fire.

"Despite this hardship, Emil never complained or missed a single day of work," Roife wrote. "Emil is a man of integrity, family values, and loyalty to his community and friends. He always has the most beautiful, sincere, and loving smile on his face."

The fundraiser shares that Mammedov, a professional chef, runs a small catering business with his wife.

"His traditional and delicious Azerbaijani cooking graced many parties, picnics, events, and religious ceremonies alike," Roife wrote, adding Mammedov earns income while his four daughters attend school.

The fundraiser states Mammedov's wife, Ilaha, heard his screams and rescued him from the "vicious, brutal attack" around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday.

"The dogs bit off parts of his body, including a large piece of skin underneath his right eye," the fundraiser details.

As of Wednesday afternoon, approximately 200 donors had contributed over $17,000 to the GoFundMe.

Roife shared the following update regarding insurance coverage of Mammedov's medical care:

"The dogs belonged to a renter nearby, not a home owners. Rarely do renters carry insurance, let alone dog bite insurance," she wrote. "This could mean that despite the HORRIFIC injuries, Emil and his family will be left with little to no recovery, and may be forced to pay these medical bills. That would be AWFUL. Hence, we are asking for all the help all of you can provide in these difficult times."

Bring Me The News has reached out to Eden Prairie PD regarding the status of the pit bulls, which are believed to have been quarantined.

Visit the GoFundMe page here .

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