A true story of faith and devotion

In the never-ending string of bad news, natural disasters, calamities, diseases, and accidents, it is certainly nice to come across a story that is heartwarming and reminds us that no matter how bad things get, there will always be good in the world and heroism if we only remember to look. I am talking about the heartwarming tale of man’s best friend that has seen a lot of media attention lately, as it should. I am talking about the story of Kabang, the asong-Pinoy or Aspin that lost her snout when she saved the lives of her two young masters back in December 2011 by pushing them out of the way of an oncoming motorcycle.

It’s a story that could have come straight from the movies. The Bunggal family found Kabang as a young puppy abandoned and took her home. She never left the side of Dina, the couple’s young daughter and they grew up together. Then in December 2011, while Dina and her cousin were crossing the street, an oncoming motorcycle would have hit them had her trusty dog not pushed them out of the way and taken the brunt of the impact. It does not seem real, but it is, and it is just another reminder that dogs are truly man’s best friend and truly deserve our love and caring.

After the accident, Kabang lost half of her face and it was feared that she would not survive. Local veterinarians though took up her cause and enlisted help from generous hearts through social media networking sites. Unfortunately, the major animal welfare organizations did not really step up to the plate to help the hero dog, but it didn’t matter because her story touched the hearts of people all over the world and created an outpouring of sympathy that allowed donations to come in from 45 countries around the world covering the full cost of her treatment that would be conducted in the United States.

Veterinary surgeon Anton Lim, took Kabang to California for the treatment, flown there with Kabang and his associates for free by Philippine Airlines, and after 8 months of surgery and rehabilitation has finally brought her home. This is one of the first times in local history that the Philippines, with the help of the whole world, has shown such support for a dog, a lot of veterinarians claimed. Animal doctors at the University of California operated on Kabang’s wounds as well as treated her for other medical conditions. While they could not reconstruct her snout, they did cover up sensitive areas of her face to avoid infection and further problems. She is still fully functional and can eat and smell and walk on her own. Granted she has limitations now that she did not have before, she is overall, still very lucky and in considerably good health.

It’s so wonderful to read how this courageous animal has been helped back by animal lovers around the world. She could have just been another casualty and been forgotten, but instead, her story is a tale of love and devotion and reminds people that no matter what, with faith anything is possible.

However, now that the big hurdle is over, what does the future hold for Kabang now that she is home? While she was being treated she was taken care of, given shelter, and always had food and water. She comes home now though to a family that loves her but is also struggling on their own to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. They love her no doubt, but she will need to be cared for and watched over.

Fortunately, there is some good news here as well. Kabang was sent home with one year’s worth of heartworm and flea and tick preventive medicine. She was also given a lifetime’s worth of Pedigree food and preventive medicine from Pfizer. So at least she will be well fed and will have the medicines she needs.

I truly hope Kabang gets to live out the rest of her days happy and healthy. I’ve read a few pieces about her family — the Bunggals — going through some struggles of their own including her owner battling a drinking problem. My hope is that perhaps they can take inspiration from their brave canine and get it together for both her and the family. This could be the start of a better life from now on for all of them if they will only let it. I understand, of course, that they face the hardships of real life, but they can overcome with perseverance and patience. This is something they can learn from their hero pooch.

I guess all is well that ends well. As I mentioned above, hearing stories about brave and loving dogs always touches my heart and reminds me of the true love and utter devotion our four-legged friends feel towards us throughout their lives (which are significantly shorter than our own). I also remember that movie our family saw awhile back about the Japanese dog Hachiko, who followed his master to work every day and waited for him patiently at their meeting spot every single day of his life, even after his master had passed away. While it was sad, it was also heartwarming and those who witnessed the dog’s devotion were all changed by it. A statue to his memory still stands in Japan to this day.

In our home, our pets have always been a part of our family. We had a German Shepherd while my daughter was growing up and they were as close as could be. He loved her like his own and was highly protective of her and our family. We cared for him until he peacefully passed away of old age around 10 years ago. His death was hard on all of us and we truly felt like we had lost a member of family.

Now, we have an adorable yellow Labrador Retriever and my daughter’s family has a Pug and a Chihuahua all of whom my granddaughter has gotten very close to. It is amazing how animals can easily form such a strong bond with humans, and children especially. They are such compassionate creatures and have so much to teach us. Kabang is a perfect example of teaching selfless love and true devotion. Among all her accolades she was also awarded as the Red Cross Animal Hero of the Year for 2012 and a host of international and local awards. Her group of supporters, or Team Kabang as they are called, notes that she has become such a strong and charismatic symbol they are thinking of increasing her advocacy.

She can definitely teach both adults and children lessons in many things — responsible pet ownership, love, courage, and perseverance. While it is definitely fun to have pets, it should be about much more than that. We have a responsibility to care for them properly and ensure they have what they need. They are not just toys or decorations, they are family and they should be cared for that way.