Hero, The Dog With No Snout To Get Surgery

A dog who became an international cause celebrity after her snout was sliced off saving two young girls in the Philippines was examined by veterinarians Thursday at UC Davis, a milestone event in a remarkable humanitarian effort to help a canine heroine. The mixed-breed dog, named Kabang, became an unlikely star in the Philippines after she reportedly threw herself into the path of a speeding motorcycle just as it was about to hit two young girls crossing a roadway in Zamboanga City.

The lunge, by all accounts, saved the lives of the daughter and niece of Kabang's owner, but cost the dog her snout and upper jaw, which was sheared off when she got tangled in the motorcycle's spokes. The gruesome injury puts her in grave danger of developing an infection. At minimum, the gaping wound must be closed, a delicate procedure that is beyond the capability of veterinarians in the Philippines.

Kabang was brought to the William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, at UC Davis, where a team of veterinarians looked over her wounds.

"We are pleased with what we discovered," said Frank Verstraete, one of the veterinary surgeons who conducted an hour-long exam Thursday that included blood and urine tests. "We are confident we can improve her condition going forward."