Philippines hero dog returns home after face surgery

A dog in Philippines that lost half her face while saving two girls from an oncoming motorcycle has received a hero's welcome upon her return home after eight months of treatment in the US.
The mixed-breed dog, named Kabang, was greeted by a crowd of well-wishers at Manila airport and later reunited with her owner, Rudy Bunggal, in Zamboanga, BBC News reported.
A parade was planned in Kabang's honour in Zamboanga City yesterday.
The hero dog jumped into the path of a motorcycle, stopping it from hitting her owner's daughter and niece in the southern city in December 2011.
She lost her snout and upper jaw in the incident.

Veterinary surgeon Anton Lim, who accompanied the dog to the US, said they received donations from 45 countries, covering the full cost of treatment worth USD 27,000.

"This is the first time in the history of the Philippines that we've seen such support for a dog," said Ed Unson, another Filipino vet and one of Kabang's handlers.
Doctors at the University of California operated on Kabang's wounds, and treated her for a tumour and heartworm.
While they could not reconstruct the dog's jaw or snout, they took skin grafts from her cheeks, neck and forehead to cover up sensitive areas exposed on her face, University of California Professor Frank Verstraete said.