Man undergoes ten reconstructive surgeries after dog bit off his nose while trying to save him from seizure

In the video, Ben Horne, 34, describes how his dog mauled his face - while he tried to save his owner from an epileptic seizure. During the horror attack, the family pet ripped off his nose, and parts of his mouth and chin - which has taken ten surgical procedures to correct.

House was ‘plastered in blood’

Ben managed to call for an ambulance but has struggled to come to terms with his new appearance. He explains: "My whole house was plastered in blood. I called 999. I couldn't really talk but I managed to convey I needed an ambulance. A nurse said 'I'm going to hand you a mirror and it's going to be a big shock.”

Ben, an aerospace engineer, said it was ‘heartbreaking’ and that it was hard to accept his new appearance. Now he is finally starting to accept himself and hopes by sharing his story he can help others going through something similar.

Left with only the septum bone

He was rushed to Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton, for a 10-hour emergency operation to piece what they could back together. "I remember looking in the mirror and I just wished that I hadn't managed to call an ambulance. I didn't see how I could live with what happened." After the incident in November 2019, Ben's top lip was hanging down, he'd lost a lot of his chin and was only left with the septum bone in his nose. Ben, of Yeovil, Somerset has had around ten surgeries to reconstruct his face, using bones from his ribs and skin from his forearm and forehead. He still needs plastic tubes to help him breathe so the next step is to find a way to remove those without his nose closing up - but he is now starting to accept his new appearance.

He said: "It's very difficult when you see people staring at you for too long. They look at you like an object.” Ben, who had Henry for 10 years before the accident, said the dog has been rehomed after an assessment and is happy in his new family. He is fundraising to support Exeter Plastic Surgery and Epilepsy Action, and will be taking part in two tough mudder's and two 50k races. Support him here - https://rdhc.enthuse.com/pf/ben-horne