Woman who had nose bitten off by dog 'scared of firework' decides to keep pet
Trigger warning: This article contains graphic images that some readers may find upsetting
A Swedish influencer who had her nose brutally bitten off by her pet dog has explained why she is choosing to keep the pooch.
Dog trainer Charlotta Oskarsson suffered a life-changing injury on New Year's Eve in 2022, when her pet dog Prince had lunged at her after she leaned over to kiss him goodnight, biting off her nose in the process.
Now, you'd be understanding if the 35-year-old made the decision to have the pooch re-homed - however, she has since explained her decision to keep looking after the animal.
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Detailing her journey on Instagram, the influencer explained that Prince had been scared by the fireworks going off though-out the night, meaning that when she went to kiss him goodnight, a move she has since called a 'misjudgment' online, the dog panicked and attacked her.
The ordeal left her nose completely severed; doctors in Sweden were unable to perform surgery to save her nose, which meant that Charlotta had to be flown to a hospital in Stuttgart, Germany to undergo reconstruction.
Charlotta has since shared her long and painful recovery with her followers via Instagram. Several posts have seen Charlotta featuring what appears to be a 'swollen' forehead - a process she has since explained is a 'forehead expander'.
"Many are thinking about the 'swelling' that I have on my forehead, but it is therefore no swelling but an important part in project 'Nose 2.0'," she wrote under one post (translated from Swedish).
"A so-called 'expander' has been placed inside the skin of the forehead, which during three months should be filled with cooking salt. As the skin grows out, and the goal is to have as much skin as you can use it for the nose."
She continued: "So if you see a giant forehead and a potato walking by, don't be alarmed it's just my future nose."
Charlotta has also explained the reasons for keeping Prince - who is a Karelian Bear dog, a breed which is known for hunting bears - as well as changes she and her partner made after the accident.
"Many wonder what happened to the dog that bit me, if we still have him or if he was put to sleep. The short answer is that we still have him," she explained.
The Swede went on to write that although she wishes he'd acted differently she doesn't 'blame' him for the reaction.
"He’s a dog, and I shouldn’t have put him in that situation," she continued.
"Prince lives a more restrictive life after the accident. For example, he is not allowed to sleep with us, and we give him even more space when he is tired or scared.
"We are careful not to put him or ourselves in difficult situations for him, and avoid close contact.
"This is of course nothing that is unique to Prince, there are lots of dogs who would bite, and bite, in a similar situation."
Topics: Dogs, Health, Social Media, Animals
Brenna Cooper