December 2, 2005

The Frenchwoman who underwent the world's first face transplant this week sustained her original injuries when her labrador tried to rouse her from a pill-induced sleep, it emerged yesterday.

But according to one of her teenage daughters, it may be the family dog - which has since been destroyed - that deserves the thanks."She had taken pills, she was unconscious," the daughter said of the incident that led to her mother's injuries six months ago.

"When the dog realised that it tried to wake her. After that we don't know what happened with the dog, whether it bit or clawed her, but it managed to pull her awake," she said. "In a way, it was lucky for her that the dog was there."