Dog Owner Recalls How Her Cocker Spaniel Attacked Her Face Unprompted: ‘So Shocked as to How Bad It Was’

A dog owner in South Shields, England, is sharing her experience of physical and emotional recovery after her cocker spaniel unexpectedly turned aggressive and bit her in the face.

Holly Taylor, 33, was relaxing and watching TV when her 5-year-old dog, Splodge, suddenly lunged and bit her, leaving her stunned. “I was in complete shock at first,” Taylor said in an interview with SWNS per Daily Mail. “Splodge jumped from my knee. I held my face but could feel the blood running down my hand.”

Her partner rushed in from the kitchen and saw the extent of the injury. Taylor said that when he told her to move her hand away from the wound, she could tell by his reaction that the injury was serious.

She later learned the bite had left a deep gash in her cheek. Seeing her face for the first time afterward made her physically sick. “I was so naïve to think that it would heal flat and quickly,” she said. “I was shocked at how bad it was, given how fast it happened.”

The following morning, Taylor took Splodge to a veterinarian. After discussing what could have caused the sudden behavior — such as illnesses, tumors, or brain issues — she made the painful decision to have him euthanized. “He wasn’t the dog I knew or loved anymore,” she said. “It was the worst day of my life.”

Her recovery afterward was both physically and emotionally challenging. Taylor described weeks at home with a swollen face covered in stitches, while mourning the loss of her pet and fearing she would never look or feel the same again.

She said she spiraled into worry about the future and how others might see her: “Imagine my wedding photos someday — or having to explain this to everyone I meet so they understand why I look this way.”

Though she believes beauty comes from within, the drastic change was difficult to cope with. Eventually, Taylor sought a treatment that offered hope: Fraxel laser therapy, a skin-resurfacing procedure that stimulates collagen and supports healing. According to the Mayo Clinic, laser treatments can help reduce fine lines, age spots, and uneven tone.

Taylor says the procedure made a dramatic difference: “It has given me back my confidence and been the light at the end of a dark tunnel after the most traumatic few months.”

Despite the grief of losing Splodge, she is comforted by knowing the decision protected others. “It was the most heartbreaking decision of my life,” Taylor said. “But I couldn’t risk this happening to another person. I would never forgive myself.”

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