Most of us can attest to being animal lovers. Whether it's dogs or cats that have a special place in our hearts, or a different kind of animal entirely, we just can't get enough of the creatures we share our planet with. That being said, it's no secret that animals aren't always happy to go along with our whims - whether it's being petted, or, as this woman recently discovered, being fed a bite of food that just wasn't big enough.

[[imagecaption|| Credit: Facebook / Melissa Brunning]]

Thirty-four-year-old Melissa Brunning recently went viral after she had a terrifying encounter with a shark in North Western Australia. She was on vacation in the remote area of Dugong Bay when she decided to try and hand-feed a Tawney Nurse shark.

Watch the shocking moment Brunning was pulled under by the shark for yourself:

Now, before you start thinking to yourself that this was a stupid thing to do in the first place, she was feeding a species known for their placid natures. Brunning just happened to be unlucky. Very unlucky.

[[imagecaption|| Credit: Seven]]

Within seconds, the shark clamped down hard on her hand, pulling her under the water.

Luckily, the shark released its grip and Brunning was pulled back out of the water, though she immediately feared the worst. While Brunning did survive, she feared that the shark may have taken part of her hand with it.

[[imagecaption|| Credit: Seven]]

"It happened so quickly, all I could really focus on was the fact that my finger is gone, he'd clamped on it and it felt like it was shredding off the bone," she told 7 News Perth.

Brunning could not bring herself to look at her hand afterward, and it wasn't until others at the scene reassured her that her finger was still there that she began to relax. However, her ordeal wasn't over yet.

Due to her remote location, Brunning decided not to go to the hospital and hoped her hand would heal on its own.

Upon returning home to Perth after her vacation, however, her finger became so infected that she had to have surgery to disinfect the would. She also learned that the bone had been shattered.

[[imagecaption|| Credit: Seven]]

Brunning admits that she should never have fed the shark, even though she was told that it was safe to do so.

"Be mindful of your surroundings and don't feed sharks," she said.

Most of us can attest to being animal lovers. Whether it's dogs or cats that have a special place in our hearts, or a different kind of animal entirely, we just can't get enough of the creatures we share our planet with. That being said, it's no secret that animals aren't always happy to go along with our whims - whether it's being petted, or, as this woman recently discovered, being fed a bite of food that just wasn't big enough.

[[imagecaption|| Credit: Facebook / Melissa Brunning]]

Thirty-four-year-old Melissa Brunning recently went viral after she had a terrifying encounter with a shark in North Western Australia. She was on vacation in the remote area of Dugong Bay when she decided to try and hand-feed a Tawney Nurse shark.

Watch the shocking moment Brunning was pulled under by the shark for yourself:

Now, before you start thinking to yourself that this was a stupid thing to do in the first place, she was feeding a species known for their placid natures. Brunning just happened to be unlucky. Very unlucky.

[[imagecaption|| Credit: Seven]]

Within seconds, the shark clamped down hard on her hand, pulling her under the water.

Luckily, the shark released its grip and Brunning was pulled back out of the water, though she immediately feared the worst. While Brunning did survive, she feared that the shark may have taken part of her hand with it.

[[imagecaption|| Credit: Seven]]

"It happened so quickly, all I could really focus on was the fact that my finger is gone, he'd clamped on it and it felt like it was shredding off the bone," she told 7 News Perth.

Brunning could not bring herself to look at her hand afterward, and it wasn't until others at the scene reassured her that her finger was still there that she began to relax. However, her ordeal wasn't over yet.

Due to her remote location, Brunning decided not to go to the hospital and hoped her hand would heal on its own.

Upon returning home to Perth after her vacation, however, her finger became so infected that she had to have surgery to disinfect the would. She also learned that the bone had been shattered.

[[imagecaption|| Credit: Seven]]

Brunning admits that she should never have fed the shark, even though she was told that it was safe to do so.

"Be mindful of your surroundings and don't feed sharks," she said.