ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines—The one-year-old dog here whose face was horribly disfigured when she saved her young masters from being hit by a speeding motorcycle two months ago, has become a celebrity of sorts.
Kabang, a white-and-black “aspin” (short for asong Pinoy or native dog) shielded Dina Bunggal, 11, and cousin Princess Diansing, 3, from harm when she jumped into the path of the motorcycle. But her head got caught in the spinning front tire, causing her to lose her entire upper snout, including her nose and lower part of her eyelids.
Her deed has been described as heroic and her resulting plight has drawn a wave of sympathy. Despite the still open wound on her face, Kabang (a Visayan term that means spotty) is not showing any sign of trauma.
UPDATE: ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines— The courageous canine who saved two girls from harm when she blocked the path of a speeding motorcycle here in December, is US-bound.
“Kabang,” a female aspin (short for asong Pinoy or native breed), will undergo major surgery to reconstruct her upper snout, which was mangled and ripped off in the accident, according to veterinarian Dr. Anton Lim.
“Kabang is going to the US with the help of many kind-hearted individuals and donors, who would like to see the dog … live longer. Her story inspired many people especially animal lovers,” Lim said, citing a confirmation from Ramona Consunji of the Animal Welfare Coalition.
Lim said among those helping in Kabang’s trip to the US, which could take place next month at the latest, aside from local veterinarians and humanitarian groups and individuals, was Animal Welfare Coalition US coordinator Karen Kenngott.
In an e-mail to the Inquirer, Kenngott said that they wanted Kabang flown to the US as soon as possible.
“The more time that goes by, the more Kabang is at risk of infection,” Kengott said. “Fungal infections can be especially difficult to eradicate and any infection in the bone can be a lengthy process to treat at best. Her chances are better the sooner she can get those wounds closed,” she said.
Lim agreed by saying that Kabang is losing one of her remaining upper molars–which is very important for chewing and grabbing food–because of a previous infection.
Kenngott said Kabang would be operated on at the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital of the University of California in Davis, “under a team of multi-disciplinary doctors and surgeons led by Dr. Boaz Arzi.” Arzi is a maxillofacial and dental surgeon.
LATEST UPDATE (09/12/12): click here for Update on Kabang, The Hero Dog
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