Hero dog takes a bullet to the jaw while protecting her family from armed robbers

A rescue dog once again demonstrated how fiercely loyal and protective our canine friends can be when she took a bullet for her adopted family. The young cross Malinois dog named Kei was shot in the face while trying to protect her family during a violent home invasion in Benoni, in the Gauteng province of South Africa, on October 3. The story of her bravery went viral on social media after it was shared on Facebook by the Boksburg SPCA, from where Kei was adopted by the Lamont family in 2020. " It was love at first sight," the non-profit wrote of the first time the family laid eyes on their soon-to-be hero. "Little did they know that, within a year, this dog was going to save their lives."

The animal protection organization revealed that two armed robbers had broken into the Lamont home in Lakefield Benoni in the early hours of October 3 while the family was asleep. "One intruder entered the main bedroom where a terrifying shoot-out took place, and [the intruder] was shot dead. 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," the now-viral post states. "Kei recognized danger immediately and flew across the room before the intruder could get through the door, attacking him with a force he wasn't expecting."

"The intruder retreated back into the hall and down the stairs leaving a trail of blood behind him. As he was fleeing, he shot and killed the family's Biewer Yorkie Holly who, as small as what she was, gave her life to protect her family," SPCA sadly revealed. "Kei chased the intruder down the stairs and into the kitchen where he opened fire and shot her through the face. Leaving Kei wounded and stunned, he made good his escape. 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. 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," the post reads. "Back inside the Lamont home, the search for Kei became frantic and the family drove out into the streets looking for her. Forty minutes later they found her lying on the grass by the water. The owners contacted the Boksburg SPCA who attended the scene immediately and assisted the Lamont family. Kei was rushed to an after-hour vet where they stabilized her and gave her plenty of morphine. Things didn't look good for Kei."

An x-ray the following morning revealed that the bullet "had entered the side of her nose, shattered two top molars, severely injured her tongue, and broken her jaw." Following surgery, Kei was released back to her family and referred to specialist Professor Steenkamp at the Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic hospital for reconstructive surgery on her jaw. In an update, the Lamont family revealed that the first thing Kei did when she got home, was run to the wall where her shooter fled to ensure the area was safe for her family. "She sniffed and inspected the entire area, making sure all was safe before she went inside to lie on her bed," Boksburg SPCA wrote.

As Kei's bravery caught netizens' attention across the world, people have been asking how they can support this hero dog through her recovery. The family has therefore set up a crowdfund on BackaBuddy to raise the funds needed to cover the cost of Kei's impending surgery and additional medical costs. If you would like to support her recovery, you can do so here.