Puppy Whose Nose Was Blown Off By Fireworks Has Reconstructive Surgery

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT

If you're a dog lover, this might be a difficult read - but we promise it's got a happy ending.

When little Braveheart's nose was blown off by firecrackers, he was found by an animal rescue charity in Sonora, Mexico.

He stayed there for two months before he was well enough to make the trip to The Saving Huey Foundation in California, US to undergo reconstructive surgery.

Tracy Lystra, 44, who runs the charity agreed to fund the pooch's recovery and says he is now running about playing with other dogs at the centre.

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This didn't come without a struggle however, as Ms Lystra said the damage to Braveheart's jaw was so devastating that he had to have a prosthetic one made.

"I was contacted by someone in Mexico about Braveheart, they sent me a picture of him and my first instinct was to have the poor dog put down," she said.

"I had never done any rescue in that area so was unsure of the vets out there but a friend told me about Dr. Briseno, who thought he could help."

"A new jaw was made for Braveheart, and he has had four surgeries to rebuild his jaw."

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The trauma inevitably had its own impact on those working with the pup. As Ms Lystra commented, whilst her job requires a thick skin, events like these are nevertheless incredibly difficult to digest.

"I am able to take a lot of what I see and hide it from my emotions, but there are times it definitely catches up with me,' she admitted.

Nonetheless, she believes her commitment to animal welfare is materialised by giving them the best chance in life.

"Many people see an animal in pain and either turn a blind eye to it or want to end the animals' life," she said.

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"While Saving Huey Foundation does not condone suffering, we do want to offer second chances to the lives that can sustain such an offering."

And we are so happy she did. With Braveheart's new jaw firmly in place, he can now look forward to a long life post the trauma of the incident.

We're wishing Braveheart a speedy recovery!

Topics: Dog, Life News, Puppy, Real

Nicole Cherruault

Nicole is a freelance write for Tyla. Since graduating from The University of Edinburgh she has worked for Phoenix Magazine and British Vogue.

@NCherruault