A Labrador who lost his nose to cancer is now a doggy model for pet accessories and brands.
Fudge, 12, had to have it removed in a £6,000 operation after his owners spotted a growth in his left nostril.
At first a vet thought something was stuck but a biopsy showed a rare, aggressive cancer.
Owner Ceri Jackson, 35, said: “I was crying my eyes out in such shock that he was going to have such a serious procedure.
“It was devastating. We didn’t really have concerns about what he would look like, we were just so worried about him having such surgery.”
Fudge was referred to The Queen’s Veterinary School Hospital in Cambridge where he had surgery earlier this month.
Ceri and teacher boyfriend Karl Shaw, 28, managed to raise some of the cost on social media.
She added: “Some people said, because he was 11, why did we want to put him through it but Fudge is a puppy at heart.
“He is so full of love and character we had to give him that chance to have more time and adventures with us.”
Three days after the surgery Fudge was back home. Amazingly, vets say he can smell as normal. Ceri, a marketing manager for her hometown football team Boston United FC, Lincs, said: “At first we had to guide him around the house and feed him by hand until he learnt how to move his mouth in a new way to eat from his bowl.
“Fudge is a very pampered pooch, and because he has a few allergies we have to tailor his diet.
“His favourite is home-cooked beef, turkey and venison so we prepared meals for him and hand fed him until he could do it himself.
“While he recovered he was my shadow but in all the years I’ve had him he has never really left my side. He is my best friend and we have such a close, special bond.”
Ceri got Fudge as a puppy in 2010 because her first dog Marley was terminally ill with kidney failure.
She added: “Me and Fudge did everything together, we’d walk for miles, go on adventures and he loved to swim in rivers.”
Because of his appearance Fudge gets a lot of attention on his walks and on his Instagram page @mrfudginaldbrown, which has over 1,700 followers.
He has been picked to model for doggy accessory firms Bella Bows and Roxy’s Thread.
Ceri said: “People will ask what’s happened and I am happy to share to raise awareness. We are so proud of Fudge and all he has been through and how well he has adapted.”
