Dakota was unable 'to be a dog' because of the breathing issues caused by her wrinkly face
Hannah Robinson and Howard Lloyd Regional content editor
14:03, 15 Jan 2026Updated 14:07, 15 Jan 2026
A wrinkly bulldog was forced to undergo a facelift - as her face was so furrowed she struggled to breathe or eat. Four-year-old Dakota had to go under the knife to banish the giant folds of skin plaguing her, including the biggest 'nose rope' - as the skin above the nose is known - a dog charity had ever seen.
Unable to 'be a dog' or play outside because of her breathing issues, bulldog charity The Edward Foundation forked out nearly £6,000 on four major surgeries to give the pup a new lease of life. This included a facial-fold resection surgery on September 1, where surgeons delicately removed excess skin above her nose and Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome surgery to remove excess tissues in the airway.
She also underwent entropion correction, a surgery to remove a section of skin to stop the eyelid rolling inwards and irritating the eye. Proud foster carer for the Edward Foundation Jenna Huxted has been caring for four-year-old Dakota since August. Video footage before surgery shows the pup making snorting sounds as she struggles to breathe due to the skin covering her nose.
The 40-year-old shared snaps of Dakota's transformation online with the caption 'when I look at Dakota now, she is a completely different dog'. The post delighted social media users and went viral, racking up more than 198,000 views. One photo shows a deflated-looking Dakota with her extreme facial wrinkles that completely covered her eyes and nose.
A later photo shows the pooch post-surgery showing off her huge round eyes and you can see the stitches from where surgeons have removed her excess skin to reveal her nose. Dakota's surgery is helping her to 'live her best life' now that she can freely play around and her new look has even turned her into a 'little bit of a diva'.
Jenna, from Medway, Kent, said: "She looks like a whole brand-new dog, it's basically a facelift surgery. She looks and acts like a completely different dog, it's been life-changing for her.
"She's gone back to her puppy state where she can play and just run around and live her best life. I'm grateful to be part of this. She wasn't able to be a dog. She was loving and has always been very loving but she couldn't play and be her because she couldn't breathe.
"I'm fully aware that (having a large nose rope) happens with the breeding situation but nothing as bad as her. I remember walking into the vets and them saying 'this is an extreme case'. She's an amazing dog and has a brilliant temperament, she's definitely living her best life now.
"She's got so many years left in her and she can go to the beach and do nice things she was never able to do before. I feel very grateful that I've been able to help her and get her ready for her next journey."
The Edward Foundation's chairman De Randall, 59, hopes to spread awareness of the dangers of poor breeding to prevent cases like Dakota. De said: "The moment I saw her I knew she needed surgery, she's got the biggest nose rope we've ever seen on a bulldog. It's very rare to find a bulldog with a nose rope the size hers was.
"She's a badly bred bulldog. Unfortunately, some people like the hugely wrinkled look. The public don't realise the implications of buying the most wrinkly puppy you can find. Her nose was completely covered so obviously that made breathing out of her nose very difficult and eating very difficult.
"(The surgery) was absolutely necessary for her. They just took away enough excess skin and fat around the nose so she now has a nose rope like she should've had in the beginning. She's much happier and she's very cheeky now and is turning into a little bit of a diva.
"If people are going to continue to buy from people that breed for unrecognised colours or wrinkles then they're opening themselves up to a world of hurt and opening up the dog to a life of suffering."