Dad has no plans on getting rid of bulldog puppy after pet ate his toe while he slept

It will come as no surprise to dog owners that puppies love to chew on anything and everything; from furniture, shoes and toys... they will sink their teeth into almost anything.

Forget "the dog ate my homework" and behold, "the dog ate my big toe."

Despite the pup - named Harley - going to down on his owner’s foot, David – the man whose toe was bitten to the bone - has no plans on getting rid of his adorable bulldog puppy, who has also been credited with saving his owner’s life.

"I was asleep on the couch when my wife walked in and shouted, 'Dave, the puppy's chewing your toe!'" David recalled.

"My puppy had near enough chewed my big toe off! It chewed down to the bone and cracked it."

Naturally, your next question will be how did the father-of-five manage to sleep through his dog making a meal of his big toe? It must have hurt even if he was in a deep sleep, surely?

Well, the answer has to do with the fact Harley inadvertently saved his owner’s life.

When Harley was finally stopped nibbling on the toe, David, from Cambridge, was rushed to Addenbrooke Hospital after waking up to find his toe in bits and pieces. He was put on antibiotics to stop an infection caused by Harley’s bites from spreading to his bone.

"But because of all this, I discovered that my foot is completely numb, I can't feel anything," David shared.

David’s entire leg could have been in danger of needing amputation if the blood supply wasn't restored.

So, thanks to cheeky Harley’s odd choice of snack, David’s leg has been saved and he’s now being assessed for stents which would open up the arteries and allow the blood flow to return to his leg.

"I'm waiting to find out if they can put stents in. I'll be keeping the dog," he said.

"I'll try to keep my toe too, but if not I told the doctor to cut it off and I can take it home for him!"

David has been in hospital for more than a week since the toe incident but he's hopeful he'll be able to go home to his wife and his beloved bulldog by the end of the week.