Once unwanted and with no family to call her own, a rescue dog has come a long way and is now a beloved hero for taking a bullet to save her loved ones.
It was only a year back when the dog named Kei was being looked after by the non-profit, Boksburg SPCA in South Africa. Kei was looking for a forever home before a family met her and instantly wanted to take her home.
“It was love at first sight” for the family. “Little did they know that, within a year, this dog was going to save their lives,” Boksburg SPCA wrote on Facebook.
A year after she was adopted, Kei put her life on the line when two armed robbers broke into the family’s Lamont home in Lakefield Benoni.
“One intruder entered the main bedroom where a terrifying shoot-out took place, and he was shot dead,” wrote Boksburg SPCA. “The second intruder entered the eldest daughter’s bedroom, gun in hand, not knowing that Kei was also on the bed, watching over her best friend.”
Immediately, Kei realized the impending danger and dashed across the room before the intruder could make his way through the door. The dog attacked him with such force that the intruder had no choice but to retreat, leaving behind a trail of blood.
As the intruder made his way out, he shot and killed the family’s Biewer Yorkie Holly before shooting Kei in her face and escaping.
Although she was badly injured, Kei didn’t stop thinking about her family and tried to get someone to help.
“Kei knew she had to get help and, despite her injuries, made her way out the gate to alert a neighbor she knew well. Surveillance footage shows her pacing up and down the gate trying to get help,” said the animal protection organization. “She couldn’t bark because one of the bullets had shattered her jaw. With no luck, she ran down to the lake, a place she’s familiar with, looking for help.”
Meanwhile, Kei’s family began frantically searching for her until they found her lying near the lake about 40 minutes later. The family quickly contacted Boksburg SPCA, and Kei was soon given the medical attention she needed.
What followed next was the rush to put Kei out of her misery after she bravely took a bullet for her family. “It was found that the bullet had entered the side of her nose, shattered two top molars, severely injured her tongue, and broken her jaw. Surgery was done a little later to repair the tongue and bullet wounds,” Boksburg SPCA said.
Kei is currently on the road to recovery, and her vets are hoping to see her get back to being her usual self soon. As soon as she’s better, Kei will be receiving an award from Boksburg SPCA for her wonderful show of heroism when her family most needed it.
“Kei protected her family because she felt loved and was not simply placed in the back yard for ‘security’ like so many dogs in this country are. This is a beautiful example of how an unwanted, cross breed, SPCA animal can go from ‘zero to hero,'” added the non-profit. “There are thousands of dogs just like Kei sitting in SPCAs around the country, waiting to be adopted. Look after your pets and we promise, they’ll look after you!”