Skip to content
i Still Love Dogs
i Still Love Dogs

…Dog news, tips & fun stuff

  • News
  • Awww
  • Heroes
  • Grrr
  • Tips
  • Pittie Party
  • About
i Still Love Dogs

…Dog news, tips & fun stuff

Kabang, hero dog who lost snout saving lives

RIP Kabang, Hero Dog Who Lost Her Snout Saving 2 Girls’ Lives in 2012

Laura Goldman, May 22, 2021August 24, 2022

Kabang, hero dog who lost snout saving lives

As cousins Dina Bunggal, 11, and Princess Diansing, 3, crossed a street in the Philippines in December 2011, a motorcycle sped toward them. Seemingly out of nowhere, Bunggal’s Shepherd mix, Kabang, jumped in front of the bike, saving the girls’ lives.

Kabang also survived her heroic act, but suffered a gruesome injury in the process: Her snout was torn off when the motorcycle struck her head-on. Remarkably, she was able to adjust — for example, she figured out how to eat by using her paws to scoop food into her mouth.

To prevent Kabang from developing a life-threatening infection, she needed reconstructive surgery so her wounds would close, and there weren’t any vets in the area with the expertise to perform such a complicated procedure.

Fortunately, veterinary surgeons Boaz Arzi and Frank Verstraete of the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at the University of California, Davis, offered to reconstruct Kabang’s upper jaw using state-of-the-art equipment. Philippine Airlines donated round-trip airfare for Kabang to be flown to Northern California. The cost of her surgery, which was over $20,000, was mostly covered by donations from animal lovers around the world.

Treating Heartworm, Cancer and a Missing Snout

But before reconstruction surgery could begin, UC Davis veterinarians discovered two more serious problems: Kabang had heartworm disease as well as a malignant vaginal tumor that needed to be removed. Fortunately, both were successfully treated. A few months later Kabang was free of both heartworm and cancer, and finally ready for surgery.

The first surgery repaired her dental work. The second one, which took five hours, closed the wound on her face using skin flaps brought forward from the top and sides of her head. Her nasal openings were also reconstructed and stents were placed inside them to form nostrils.

In 2013, seven months after she’d arrived at UC Davis, Kabang was ready to return to her home in the Philippines. In the meantime, she received several awards honoring her heroism, including the Animal Hero award from the American Red Cross.

Living Happily Ever After

I wrote several stories about Kabang for i Love Dogs, and have wondered in the years since then about whatever happened to the hero dog. Kabang spent the next nine years enjoying a healthy life. When her owner, Rudy Benggal, died in 2015, she was taken in by her longtime veterinarian, Dr. Anton Lim, who had accompanied her to UC Davis in 2012 and cared for her during her stay there.

On May 17, Lim announced that the 13-year-old hero dog had died peacefully in her sleep. “I last played with her at 4 p.m. and was supposed to feed her again her dinner,” Lim told the Inquirer, adding that Kabang had never lost her voracious appetite. “I found her motionless with no external sign or prior sickness,” he said.

Kabang’s permanent resting place will be beside a statue being erected in her honor in Zamboanga City.

“Rest in peace, sweetheart,” the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine wrote on its Facebook page Monday.

Photo: Care for Kabang/Facebook

Related

Heroes hero dogsUC Davis

Post navigation

Previous post
Next post

Recent Posts

  • Dogs—Not Cats—May Prevent Babies from Developing Asthma
  • Rest in Paradise, Patrick the Miracle Dog
  • Guide Dog Terrified by Thunder Led Blind Owner to Safety on 9/11
  • Once Again, Adopted Dogs Featured in 2025 Rose Parade
  • 7 Examples That Prove Trump Is Clueless About Dogs

Most “Paw”pular Posts

  • Due to 'Pit Bulls and Parolees' Lawsuit, New Villalobos Sanctuary Planned
  • 5 Reasons Why Jon Stewart Is So Doggone Awesome
  • Frank Sinatra Loved the Ladies...and the Dogs
  • Rape Charges Dropped Against Toney Converse of 'Pit Bulls and Parolees'
  • Leonard Nimoy's L.A. Pet Store Did Not Live Long or Prosper

Like i Still Love Dogs on Facebook

Like i Still Love Dogs on Facebook

Follow @iStillLoveDogs on BlueSky

Follow @iStillLoveDogs on BlueSky

Subscribe to i Still Love Dogs

Enter your email address to receive notifications of new posts. I respect your privacy and will never sell your information.

Privacy Policy

about Laura Goldman
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
©2025 i Still Love Dogs | WordPress Theme by SuperbThemes
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. You can opt-out if you wish.Got it! Reject Privacy Policy
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT