The bullet tragically broke Kei's jaw, shattered her two top molars, and severely injured her tongue.
Editor's note: This article was originally published on November 29, 2021. It has since been updated.
Disclaimer: This story contains details of gun violence that readers may find disturbing.
No one can match the unconditional love that pets have for their hooman families and one dog just proved that by endangering his life for his owners. Kei, a Malinois cross-rescue dog, bravely protected her family when two armed robbers broke into their home in Lakefield, Benoni. "In the early morning hours of the 3rd October, two armed robbers broke into the Lamont home in Lakefield Benoni. The intruders made their way upstairs to where the family was sleeping. One intruder entered the main bedroom where a terrifying shoot-out took place, and he was shot dead," shared the Boksburg SPCA in a statement on Facebook.
The Biewer Yorkie Holly had been asleep on the bed of the Lamont family's eldest daughter when the intruders forced their way into the house, per a fundraising page. As the robber tried to enter the bedroom, Keir pounced on the robber and barred him from the entrance, reports IOL. "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," continued the post. "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."
Having realized that he had chosen the wrong home to rob, the intruder ran out of the house with Kei chasing after him. In an attempt to stop her, the robber fired his gun and ended up shooting through the pooch's nose. But even the devastating injury could not stop the pooch from making sure that the danger was far away from her family as she continued chasing the intruder into the street. While she attempted to call out the neighbors for help, Kei could not bark as the bullet had tragically broken her jaw, shattered her two top molars, and severely injured her tongue.
Despite this, she kept going. "Surveillance footage shows her pacing up and down the gate trying to get help," read the statement. "With no luck, she ran down to the lake, a place she's familiar with, looking for help. While still reeling from the shocking attack, the family began looking for their heroic pooch who was nowhere to be found. Ultimately, they located her lying in the grass by the lake 40 minutes later. 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."
"Later that morning, Kei was X-rayed" and surgery was performed to repair her bullet wound and tongue. In an update, the SPCA wrote, "Our canine hero underwent major surgery on her jaw at Onderstepoort. Unfortunately, it was found that the damage is quite severe. Her tongue will need further treatment and more fragments of the bullet were found in her jaw bone. It will be a tough road back to recovery for little Kei but the Lamont family will do whatever it takes to get Kei back to good health." The family adopted Kei from Boksburg SPCA back in 2020. "It was love at first sight. Little did they know that, within a year, this dog was going to save their lives," they added.
Kei's family is not ready to give up on her and how could they after the selfless act that she just did. Her bravery inspired many and the Boksburg SPCA decided to present Kei "with an award for heroism as soon as she's better." They also noted that Kei's unconditional love for the family came from being treated with equal affection by the Lamonts. "Kei protected her family because she felt loved and was not simply placed in the backyard for 'security' like so many dogs in this country are," explained SPCA, urging people to adopt dogs who are in need of a loving home just like Kei. "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!" they assured.
References:
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=4265299063596395&id=695457603913910
https://www.backabuddy.co.za/champion/project/sarah-lamont
Cover image source: Facebook | Boksburg SPCA New FB Page
