The facelift that proved a crinkly dog's best friend

He was born with the kind of looks that only a mother could love.

But thanks to a £1,000 canine face-lift, Shankly the shar-pei now has wrinkle(ish) free skin.

Shar-pei's originate from China where they were initially used for hunting and herding but became popular fighting dogs as their folds of loose skin and short coat made it difficult for an opponent to get a firm grip.



Shankly's wrinkles had, however, become so saggy that they were completely blinding him - so staff at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home decided to give him the celebrity treatment.

In an hour-long operation, Head Vet Shaun Opperman removed a large swathe of skin from across the animal's forehead and between his eyes, sewing the remainder back together with a line of stitches.

Shankly is named after Bill Shankly, the legendary Liverpool football manager.