A pregnant care worker was left with her nose ‘hanging off’ following a vicious attack from a patient's pet dog.
Mum-to-be Rebecca Scobie was out visiting a patient’s house in July this year, but within minutes of entering the home, she was attacked by one of the family’s bulldog-cross dogs.
Warning: graphic content
Rebecca, from Ardrossan in North Ayrshire, Scotland, said: "I had only just walked in and introduced myself and said 'Hi, I'm Rebecca'.
"One of the dogs had jumped onto the back of the couch so I reached out just to pet it, as I would any other dog.
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"I was stood at the back of the couch, so I went to touch it and it all just happened really quickly. I'd only been in the house for around two minutes.
"It snapped at my face and took away some of my nose.
"My nose just felt really numb. There was a lot of adrenaline and I think because of nerve damage I couldn't really feel much of it.
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"I just held my nose and turned to face the wall. It felt more like it had broken my nose with the impact.
"The woman's son said, 'Did she manage to get you there?'
"I moved my hand away and the blood just started pouring.
"Even at that point I didn't know it had bitten me, it just felt like it had knocked me.
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"He [the woman's son] offered to call an ambulance and that's when I realised how serious it was.
"I opened my phone camera to have a look and saw a chunk had been taken out of nose. That's when I broke down.
"I phoned my partner and said 'My nose is hanging off'.
"It was terrifying."
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Rebecca says that dog was known to have an aggressive temperament and having to wear a muzzle on walks but that she had not been warned.
Following the attack, Rebecca was rushed to hospital holding a ‘chunk’ of her nose.
But despite the injuries she sustained, animal-lover Rebecca says she was ‘distraught’ when she found out the dog was put down a day later, and claims she is saddened by the recent news of banning XL bullies as she believes 'a breed should never be judged'.
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"I've found out since then that the dog is quite unpredictable and aggressive around other people,” she continued. "It usually gets muzzled when it goes out on walks and things like that.
"I didn't know that as a new carer, nothing was said [to me] at the time.
"It was put to sleep the following day after it happened. I was really upset and distraught for them [the family] about that.
"I'm definitely a lot more wary of dogs in general but I've never been like that.
"I've loved every kind of dog all my life. I have two dogs of my own, I've got a cocker spaniel and a cockapoo and even when they're near me I'm a bit wary of them now.
"Any dog in general I'm a bit more taken aback. The whole experience has given me a different perspective, but I still love dogs.
"I'm so saddened about the news about XL bullies, I'm dead upset by that. It should never be the breed that's judged, it's the way it's brought up and what the owner does."
Claire Reid