Dublin, Ireland - A three-year-old dog named Chief is feeling better than ever after a five-hour veterinary procedure gave him back the gift of sight.

Basset hounds are known for their floppy ears and wrinkles, but Chief's drooping eyelids had always left the poor pup struggling to see.

"As he grew and became bigger, so did the problem with his sight, so we were increasingly concerned about him," Chief's owner Tracey McDermott (40) told SWNS.

"We would call his name, and he’d lift his head up to try and see where we were, but you could see he was struggling," McDermott added.

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Eye drops only went so far towards helping, and it became progressively more clear - as Chief's vision got progressively less clear - that extreme measures might be necessary.

Veterinary surgeon Mike Woods had an idea for a procedure that could help Chief, but he wanted to wait until he was fully mature to perform the surgery.

Soon enough, it was time for a full on doggy facelift.

McDermott took Chief to a veterinary hospital in Dublin where surgeon Mike Woods was able to remove large sections of skin from the dog's neck in order to adjust the position of his eyebrows and eyelids. The procedue took five hours, and removed two pounds of sagging skin to help him see better.

Now, Chief has a whole new leash – ahem, lease – on life.

"Chief’s sight has significantly improved thanks to Mike, and it’s had a really positive impact on his quality of life," McDermott said.

"He was always a happy dog who got on with life in his own way despite the problems he had, now it is great to see him so well - and, of course, for him to see us."