Pregnant carer’s nose is ‘left hanging off’ when bulldog-cross brutally mauled her after she walked into a patient’s house
- Rebecca Scobie, 24, was mauled by the bulldog while visiting a patient’s home
- The bulldog-cross was known to be aggressive and put down the following day
A pregnant carer’s nose was left ‘hanging off’ her face after she was mauled by a bulldog-cross during a visit to a patient’s home.
Home-care assistant Rebecca Scobie, 24, from Androssan, North Ayrshire, Scotland was attacked by the dog which was owned by her patient’s son – just minutes after walking into their family home on July 25.
The family had failed to warn Ms Scobie about the bulldog cross-breed, despite it being known to be aggressive and having to wear a muzzle on walks – before the carer was brutally mauled after trying to pet the family’s dog.
Following the attack, the carer was rushed to A&E while holding a chunk of her own nose and has since undergone surgery to help reconstruct her face at Glasgow Royal Infirmary.
Ms Scobie has, however, said she is ‘distraught’ the bulldog was put down the day after the attack, and claims she is saddened by the government’s plans to ban American XL Bullies as she believes ‘a breed should never be judged’.
Rebecca Scobie, 24, (pictured) was rushed to A&E holding a chunk of her nose after being mauled by the bulldog-cross
The carer 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.
‘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.
‘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.
The bulldog-cross, which was owned by her patient’s son, attacked the carer just minutes after she walked into their family home
‘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.’
Since the attack Ms Scobie was told the bulldog was known to be ‘unpredictable’ and ‘aggressive’ and had to be put down the next day.
But despite the damage to her face and wary disposition around dogs, Ms Scobie still loves all breeds and is deeply upset by Rishi Sunak’s recent announcement banning XL bullies.
The 24-year-old, who has been a home-care assistant for five years but also works as a beauty practitioner, said: ‘I’ve found out since then that the dog is quite unpredictable and aggressive around other people.
‘It usually gets muzzled when it goes out on walks and things like that.
Rebecca Scobie, 24, (pictured) was attacked by a bulldog-cross during a visit to her patient’s home
‘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.’
Since the attack, the carer has undergone surgery that has seen doctors take a skin graft from the back of her head to reconstruct the tip of her nose.
Ms Scobie says despite difficulties looking in the mirror, with help of a psychologist, a loving partner, and a baby boy on the way, she’s learning to help cope with the traumatic experience.
Rebecca Scobie, who owns a cocker spaniel and a cockapoo (pictured), says she is now more wary around dogs
The mother-to-be now vows to be more cautious with her new baby around dogs, including her own spaniels, and wants to remind other survivors to keep a positive mindset as they aren’t alone.
She said: ‘I’d just found out I was pregnant a few weeks prior and so I was just in this baby bubble.
‘It’s ruined the way I felt during my pregnancy but now my baby is the thing that’s keeping me going and my partner is absolutely amazing as well.
‘There’s not a single day that goes past where I don’t think about the situation or that moment. It isn’t nice looking in the mirror. It’s sort of a reminder of what happened.
‘It’s absolutely affected the way I’ve felt about my baby being around dogs too.
‘I’ve always said I’d never let my baby pull on its ears or something, I’d never have done that anyway but even more so now.
‘I’ll be extra cautious because even family-friendly dogs can go at any time, it doesn’t matter where you are or what kind of dog it is.
‘I’d tell any other dog-attack survivors to keep a positive mindset and just know that looks aren’t everything. What’s important is how you feel inside.
‘Things do get better. Since I posted it online, I’ve found so many people who have been attacked by dogs so you definitely aren’t alone.’
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