A young model says she still loves her pet dog after she tried to kiss it on the mouth and it bit off part of her lip.
Eryka Costa was playing in her room with her mixed-breed pooch Bolinha.
But when the student went to peck him, he lunged and bit her, tearing off part of her upper lip.
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Eryka, 17, immediately reacted by pushing Bolinha away, only for him to bite her on one of her arms.
The model recalled: “It happened so quickly.
“He was calm, and I was playing with him in the morning.
“It’s normal, I always play with him, but this time he got a bit agitated.
“He has this habit, so it was a bit of carelessness on my part.”
Eryka received 10 stitches at a primary healthcare unit but will need lip reconstruction to recover the lost tissue.
The injuries to her arm were minor.
She said: “I went to the hospital and received all the necessary care.
“The top part of my mouth was torn a bit, but I got the stitches, and everything is fine.”
Eryka, of Teresina, north of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil boasts more than 134,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok.
Her mouth now hurts and she’s struggling to eat.
She must avoid speaking and smiling for 20 days so the wound can heal.
But she bears no hard feelings towards Bolinha.
Eryka said: “He’s always been a bit grumpy, and we have to be cautious around him.
“He doesn’t know what he’s doing!
“My love for him remains the same, I just need to be much more careful.”
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