31 May 2024 , 10:33
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A toddler left with facial scars after being attacked by a dog has won a national beauty pageant.
Brave Elouise Smith, four, was mauled by a Staffy-cross at a play date at a friend's house and rushed to hospital where she had surgery and stitches on her face. The ordeal left the youngster feeling insecure about her facial scars, so she would often try to cover them up with mum Stacey Murray's makeup.
So Stacey, 34, decided to enter her into the Little Miss Glamour UK pageant to boost her confidence - which she won. She said: "It was to re-build her confidence and to show people that it doesn't matter if you've got scars, you can still go out there and do what you want to do.
"Her confidence is slowly getting there. When her stitches started to scar and come out, she started to use foundation to cover up her scars for her dance competitions. When I asked her why she did that, she just turned around and said she didn't want anyone to see her scars.
Elouise suffered horrific injuries in the dog attack (Stacey Louise Murray/SWNS)"Now she's completely different - she's not bothered about trying to cover up her scars and is really, really open about it. If you asked her how she got them, then she would openly tell you about them." Elouise was attacked by the animal when she went to a friend's house in Doncaster, South Yorks, in December last year.
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She was rushed to nearby Rotherham Hospital, where she had surgery on her face and eye but Stacey now says her daughter is 'very nervous' around dogs. The senior care assistant said: "She's still very nervous around dogs, it takes her a while to get used to different dogs. She's normally behind my leg hiding if there's one we don't know."
As part of Elouise's new title, she volunteer in her local community and has started making a sensory garden with Stacey. But she says she was 'speechless' when she realised Elouise had actually won the title, because she 'never thought in a million years' that she would.
Elouise as Little Miss Glamour UK (Stacey Murray/SWNS)Stacey, who also volunteers with a local charity, said: "She had to send in a little bio about herself and what she would bring to the role. I think I was speechless when she won it - I didn't know what to say or what to do. I was just like 'oh my god' because I never thought in a million years that she would actually win.
"She's got her crown and sash now so she will be going out in the community and volunteering. We've started making a sensory garden at the fire station for the fireman and the local community. It's going to be a crazy year."
The animal was destroyed after the attack but Stacey says she is still friends with the dog's owner because it 'must have been awful for them.' She said: "We are still friends - it must have been awful for them as well. I would hate to be that parent that has got to ring another parent and say that their child has been attacked by dog."