Young Woman Got Mauled by Dog, Now Adapting to a New Hairy Nose

A young woman was attacked by a family member’s dog, and now she has hair growing on her nose. However, she’s sharing her recovery journey online, inspiring everyone with her strength and resilience.

She was attacked by her dad’s rescue dog.

In September 2022, Trinity Rowles’ life took a dramatic turn when her dad’s rescue dog attacked her. The dog, a Pitbull-Bulldog mix named Irish, had always been a gentle giant, more like a “great big teddy bear.” Trinity often looked after him, especially when her dad was away. But on that fateful day, after an argument with her dad, the tension in the house may have set Irish off.

Trinity remembers the attack as completely out of character for Irish. She explained that breeds like Irish are very emotional and can react unpredictably in high-stress situations. “Animals can only communicate in so many ways,” she said. When she started to walk away, Irish suddenly attacked, leaving her shouting that the dog was biting her nose.

Rowles has very blurred memories about the episode.

Her dad tried to protect her by getting her into the fetal position, but the dog just kept attacking. Rowles remembered that the dog grabbed her arm and started playing tug-of-war with it as if it were a toy, dragging her across the yard. Then, out of nowhere, the dog just stopped, walked away, and sat by the porch steps. Her dad and some neighbors quickly came to help, called the police and an ambulance, and while they were waiting, he brought the dog inside.

When the police arrived, Rowles recalled being put on a stretcher. Even though the attack was brief, it felt like it lasted forever. She said it was like being in and out of reality during the attack. She knew she was being attacked and bitten, but only vaguely. She could feel the pain but didn’t fully understand how badly she was hurt. Rowles ended up with injuries to her face, ears, and arm. She was taken to the hospital, and after that, her memories were a bit fuzzy.

The recovery had been long and painful.

Trinity Rowles was in the hospital for four days after the attack and then had to go back for surgery to fix her nose. At just 20 years old, she’s already had four surgeries and might need up to six more to repair her face. One of the surgeries involved a skin graft from her forehead and scalp, which even led to hair growing on her new nose, something she is struggling with every day.

The whole experience left Trinity with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), causing her frequent flashbacks, trouble sleeping, and a need for therapy and medication. To help cover the costs, a fundraiser was set up, and so far, over $6,400 has been raised toward the $10,000 goal.

The attack has shaken Trinity’s confidence, making it hard for her to accept her new appearance. She’s now much more aware of the dangers dogs can pose, something she hadn’t thought about before. On top of everything, she’s struggling with the mental impact of having hair grow on her nose, forcing her to shave twice per week.

She now has a whole community following her journey on social media.

The 21-year-old has been sharing her recovery journey on TikTok, posting updates about her healing process, including the unexpected hair growth on her nose. In a recent video titled “Let’s remember to be nice to humans,” she reintroduced herself to her audience, many of whom know her from the attack by a family member’s dog.

She thanked her supporters and then addressed those with a more negative attitude towards her. Trinity said: "I have a little message here: I am thankful to those who have been in my corner since day one. To the haters, ignore it because I am the voice of so many and it’s truly bringing me closer to people who’s had the same thing happen to them.

“I am beautiful, I am confident, I am proud of who I am. I don’t care about what anybody else has to say. I will not reconsider embracing what I look like, my imperfections, because everybody is imperfect and we should love everybody the same.”

The video has garnered thousands of views and numerous supportive replies. One user praised her, stating: “You are a warrior. My run-in was with a skin cancer. I had my nose reconstructed with a forehead flap. You are brave and beautiful.”

Others described her as “so strong,” “beautiful,” and “inspirational.” Trinity is scheduled to meet with her surgeon at the end of the year for additional reconstructive surgery.

Here’s the story of another young woman who was attacked by a dog and is sharing her journey of recovery.