A dog that lost its snout while saving two girls in the Philippines has been taken to the United States where vets hope to give it life-saving surgery. Surgeons at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) veterinary medical teaching hospital have examined the dog named Kabang ahead of planned treatment. The mixed-breed dog named Kabang has become a celebrity in its native Philippines, after she reportedly leaped into the path of a speeding motorcycle.
The rider was apparently just about to hit two young girls - the daughter and niece of its owner - crossing a roadway in Zamboanga City, in the south west region of Mindanao. The crash took off the dog's snout and her complete upper jaw, but vets have been unable to treat the serious injury. A campaign to save Kabang was instigated by Karen Kenngott, a critical care nurse from Buffalo, New York, who spearheaded fundraising for the dog's care. More than $20,000 was donated from a total of 20 countries in an online campaignto improve her quality of life.
Kabang was given a special mass, a three-hour motorcade and 300 dogs attended a "despedida" send-off ceremony before her flight California on October 8. UC Davis surgeons performed an hour-long assessment on Thursday and said Kabang will need at least two surgeries, but they are confident they can improve her condition. The first operation will focus on dental work and the second on repairing the gaping wound to her face. The hospital said in a statement: "Contrary to some rumours in the media... there are no plans to fit Kabang with a 'prosthetic snout' or to replace her jaw."
The extraordinary journey of Kabang began nearly two years ago when Rudy Bunggal, 57, discovered the then abandoned puppy in a paddy field. It said Mr Bunggal kept the animal with the intention of fattening it up and feeding it to his family, but his daughter, Dina, 11, and niece, Princess, 3, reportedly grew close to the dog. They named her Kabang, which means "spotty" in their native Visayan language, and the dog became very protective of the girls.