Young Woman Got Mauled by the Family Dog, Causing Hair to Grow on Her Nose

A young woman was bitten by a family member’s dog, resulting in hair growing on her nose. Despite the challenge, she’s documenting her recovery online, inspiring others with her strength and resilience.

She was attacked by her dad’s rescue dog.

In September 2022, Trinity Rowles’ life changed dramatically when her dad’s rescue dog attacked her. Irish, a Pitbull-Bulldog mix, had always been a gentle giant — more like a “great big teddy bear.” Trinity had often cared for him, especially when her dad was away. However, after a disagreement with her dad that day, the tension in the house seemed to trigger Irish’s aggression.

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 vague and blurred memories of the incident.

Her dad tried to shield her by getting her into the fetal position, but the dog continued its attack. Rowles recalled how the dog grabbed her arm, playing tug-of-war with it like it was a toy, dragging her across the yard. Then, without warning, the dog stopped, walked away, and sat by the porch steps. Her dad and some neighbors rushed to her aid, called the police and an ambulance, and while waiting for help to arrive, 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 supportive community following her recovery journey on social media.

The 21-year-old has been documenting her recovery on TikTok, sharing updates about her healing process, including the unexpected hair growth on her nose. In a 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.”

She continues, “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 attracted thousands of views and many supportive comments. One user praised her, saying: “You are such an amazing person. You’ve truly helped me knowing I’m not alone. We’re sharing the same journey.”

Others called her “so strong,” “beautiful,” and “inspirational.” Trinity is set to meet with her surgeon at the end of the year for further reconstructive surgery.

And here’s the story of another young woman who lost her eye due to a dog leash and now warns others about hidden dangers.