A mother was left with severe facial injuries after her dog bit off part of her lip during a routine check-up. Ellen Grace, 43, who runs a coffee van, has been unable to work due to the trauma caused by her German Shepherd-Rottweiler cross, Daisy.
She is now raising awareness about the importance of proper procedures to prevent similar incidents, she said: “If things were handled differently, I don’t think this would have happened, it was awful.”
Daisy was taken to Stellar Vets in Littlehampton for a check-up after showing signs of distress and not eating properly. Ellen explained: “She’d been jumping up at car wheels, and I wanted to make sure she was OK.”
The vet attempted to muzzle Daisy upon arrival, but Ellen claims he failed to secure it properly. “I said, ‘It doesn’t look like it’s on properly,’ but he insisted it was fine,” Ellen alleges. As Daisy became increasingly distressed during the examination, she managed to slip out of the muzzle and bit Ellen on the lips. “I didn’t realise the extent at first but then I looked down and there was just blood everywhere.”
Ellen was swiftly taken to A&E in Worthing for treatment of her injuries before being moved to Chichester Hospital’s maxillofacial department for further care. Recounting the harrowing experience, Ellen revealed: “I fainted halfway through and came round with an oxygen mask on me – it was excruciating.”
The police were notified about the incident, and after assessing Daisy, they concluded that the dog was not dangerous but had been in a high-stress situation.
Ellen has raised concerns over the veterinary practice’s handling of the situation, especially her claim that Daisy’s muzzle was not properly secured. She expressed her disappointment, saying: “They didn’t even call to check if I was okay,” Following an email sent on January 2 where she voiced her outrage and hinted at legal action, the vet responded with an apology, stating such an incident had never occurred in their 35 years of practice.
Ellen has since contacted the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and is seeking legal counsel. The attack has left her with lasting physical scars, including a missing part of her bottom lip and stretched lips from the surgery, as well as a profound impact on her mental health.
“I haven’t left the house for two weeks – it’s been so traumatic,” she disclosed. Ellen is now focused on raising awareness to ensure proper safety protocols are followed in veterinary practices to prevent future occurrences.
“This should never happen to anyone else,” she insisted. Stellar Vets have been requested to provide a statement regarding the incident.
A spokesperson for Stellar Vets told The Mirror: “Stellar Vets takes the health and safety of both our staff and clients incredibly seriously at all times. I can confirm that Daisy was brought to us for a consultation. During that consultation, after the vet had been examining Daisy’s head and neck Ellen Grace informed us that she had been having behavioural problems with Daisy.
“Daisy had been in an altercation in a shop causing damage and that she had been lunging at people and cyclists on walks. After being given this information we advised that Daisy should be muzzled. Daisy was muzzled securely with a mikki muzzle of the correct size. After successfully taking Daisy’s temperature with the muzzle on. It was decided that Daisy’s anal glands should be checked.
“It was during this checking of the anal glands, a very common procedure that our vet has performed tens of thousands of times, that Daisy reacted incredibly unpredictably and managed to get both the muzzle off and bite Ellen on her lips. This all happened in a split second. Unfortunately no muzzle is 100% efficient 100% of the time.
“We immediately applied first aid to Ellen and made sure her partner was informed. He arrived within minutes and took her to A & E immediately. We can not stress how sorry we are this freak accident occurred. It all happened so fast and is so unusual that our vet has also had mental health issues dealing with it.”
