Zamboanga's 'hero dog' to return home from US treatment
MANILA, Philippines - The Aspin mongrel from Zamboanga famed for having saved two children from an accident, was released from a veterinary hospital in California and will soon return home in the Philippines, reports from international media said.
The dog called Kabang earned international attention when she lost her snout and upper jaw after saving the two girls by jumping in front of a rushing motorcycle in December 2011.
She also suffered from undiagnosed cancer while at the University of California Davis' care the past year, but survived the dreaded tumor through chemotherapy.
Related story: Hero dog seems to have beaten cancer
Veterinary professor Frank Verstraete said that his team was able to heal the dog's gaping wounds and restored her necessary nasal and dental functions.
They also removed heartworms from the dog's arteries, as well as other ailments by giving three arsenic shots.
Kabang was under the hospital's care for seven months and incurred a bill of over $10,000, sourced from donations all over the world.
Related story: Americans to honor hero dog Kabang
Verstraete said, however, that they were not successful in reconstructing the dog's snout and jaw, which required elaborate craniofacial and dental procedures.
Kabang was sent to the California facility after a New York-based nurse, moved by the dog's heroism, set up a fundraising campaign (www.careforkabang.com) that yielded over $20,000 from 22 countries.
The expenses included her airfare, maintenance medications and visas.
Her owners said in a previous interview that the dog was found in a rice field as a puppy.
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