A “total softie” bulldog has to wear a “Hannibal Lecter mask” to stop him from eating big sticks.
Five-year-old English Bulldog Lenny needs the specialist mask to prevent him from chewing on twigs, stones and plastic on his walks.
He has a medical condition which means he has a careful diet and can’t eat things he finds.
Owner Caroline Burnell, 37, from Craig-y-Don, Wales, says the mask means locals assume Lenny is dangerous.
But she says he is a “gentle giant.”
“He loves people so much and is good as gold. He’d be so sad if people stopped fussing over him.
“I want people to know that not all dogs where muzzles because they’re dangerous – some just like to eat sticks!”
Caroline and her partner Tim Sherward, 43, who runs an automobile garage, adopted Lenny as a puppy.
While he has no breathing or walking issues associated with his breed, Lenny began to develop bladder stones in March this year.
His condition meant he found it difficult to pass urine and required him to undergo surgery and change his diet.
The pup had to go from mostly eating raw foods to a low-protein diet as part of his treatment.
It was then that he began to eat sticks as a way to add flavor into his diet.
Caroline said: “About four months ago we noticed he was struggling to pass urine.
As bulldogs have flat faces traditional muzzles aren’t suitable for the bread, so Lenny has to wear specialist muzzle made for bulldogs instead.
His new accessory was dubbed as the “Hannibal Lecter mask” and has made people weary of Lenny in public.
But Caroline says he’s good as gold and is missing out on attention he loves.
Caroline has now ordered a lead tag labelled “friendly” to hopefully reassure people that Lenny is safe to pet.
She took to social media to share a photo of Lenny sporting his new muzzle.
One local responded: “Hannibal Lectar by look – Hannibal Lick ya (to death) by nature!”
Another said it looked as if he had “underpants on his head” whilst others promised they would make sure to fuss over him if they spotted him out.
Caroline added: “Since the Facebook post people have started to make a beeline for him to stroke him.
“He won’t be in a muzzle forever, it’s just until he learns not to eat stuff from the floor.
“Hopefully until then people still come and stroke him because he would hate it if that stopped!”
Produced in association with SWNS Talker
