Manila: A dog from Zamboanga City credited for saving the lives of her owner’s children had arrived in the United States where she is due to undergo a delicate surgery that would enable her to live a normal life.
“Kabang” a mixed breed native dog, arrived in Davis, California on Wednesday, after a several hours flight from Manila, her veterinarian Dr Anton Mari Lim said in his Facebook log. Lim had accompanied Kabang to the US.
The canine had been brought to the US for treatment at the University of California-Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital for a maxillo-facial reconstructive surgery.
A report by GMA Network said Kabang had been given a warm send-off at the airport by people who were largely curious the dog’s unusual appearance Kabang had lost the upper portion of her face, the snout, after it was run over by a vehicle last December. The dog reportedly tried to save her master “Mang Rudy’s” two daughters from being hit by the vehicle.
Varous groups, including the Philippine Animal Welfare Coalition had undertaken a fund raising drive to collect money to finance Kabang’s surgery.
They were able to raise some $22,000 (Dh80,740) as donations keep pouring in.
Earlier, Lim said it was necessary for Kabang to undergo a facial operation to prevent infection from setting in on her open wound.
The dog had been on a steady dose of antibiotics for the past 10 months and Lim was afraid that the continuous medication could eventually weaken Kabang’s resistance to infections.
Lim said the key for Kabang’s survival is for her to live her life as a normal dog that could chew food on her own.
Experts are planning to fit a prosthetic snout on Kabang. According to reports, the donations for Kabang came from 18 countries, including the Philippines, as many people here and abroad were touched by Kabang’s story.
