Dog from Iran that had acid thrown in face has successful surgery in Vancouver

VANCOUVER — A seven-month-old puppy from Iran that had acid thrown on her face underwent a surgery in Vancouver on Tuesday morning.

“The vet just called and said Mugsy’s doing great,” said Sam Taylor, the pup’s owner.

Once the surgeon began, he saw that the Maltese-Japanese spitz had quite a bit more lip than he originally thought so he was able to use that to cover her nose, and put stents in her nostrils, she said.  

It was initially thought that the surgeon would have to fold over her ear to replace the melted bone and skin on the top of her nose, which would have left Mugsy temporarily blind.

When Mugsy was 40 days old somebody threw acidic cleaner on her face as she played outside at her home in Iran. The pup lost her right eye and ear, and most of her face melted including her lip.

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Although her Iranian family loved her, they could not afford all the treatment that Mugsy would need.

At the vet’s office in Iran, where her family had taken her to put her down, a volunteer from Persian Paws Rescue and Loved At Last Dog Rescue intervened. 

Taylor was able to adopt her last fall after seeing her on a city-based non-profit organization, Loved At Last Dog Rescue, which finds homes for local and international stray dogs.   

And now that the white-and-brown-coloured pup will have a better quality of life, Taylor said she’s “just kind of excited” and “relieved.”

“I was trying not to overthink things when I was waiting,” Taylor said, her voice filled with excitement.

But when the surgeon called, she said “he sounded really happy like he won the lottery himself.”

For now Taylor and Mugsy will have to take it one step at a time.

The pup may have to spend a couple of days at the hospital if she needs a “little more TLC,” she said.

“And she might end up looking more like Voldemort, since she won’t have a big hole in her face and two nostrils instead,” she said, laughing, referring to the villain in the “Harry Potter” movies played by Ralph Fiennes.

“Still cuter than Ralph Fiennes.. no offence Ralph.”

Hina Alam, The Canadian Press