General Admission
The case for Kabang
By Al S. Mendoza
KABANG, the hero-dog from Zamboanga, is back in the Philippines after undergoing a successful snout surgery in the US.
Kabang lost her snout last year trying to save two kids from a road accident.
Dina Bunggal, 9, and her cousin, Princess Diansing, 3, would have been hit by a speeding motorcycle had Kabang not flung herself into the path of the two-wheeled vehicle.
The kids were unharmed but not Kabang.
The front wheel of the motorcycle hit Kabang’s snout dead-center, causing serious injuries.
Kabang’s heroism drew national attention and landed on the front pages of national dailies, leading to an outpouring of donations to finance a reconstructive surgery on Kabang’s snout in the US.
But even before Kabang could leave the country, she delivered puppies, one of them was named JR (Junior Kabang).
JR would himself hug the spotlight recently when he lost a tooth – a result of Rudy’s fit of indiscretion one night he came home drunk.
Rudy is the owner of Kabang, and who is known in the neighborhood as a heavy drinker.
Rudy whipped JR so hard that JR lost a front tooth.
“JR tried to bite me and I had to discipline him,” Rudy said.
A cousin took pity on JR and adopted the pup.
Meanwhile, Kabang hasn’t been returned to Rudy. N’yet.
Some people, including animal doctors, are lobbying to adopt Kabang, saying they fear for Kabang’s safety once she’s returned to Rudy.
There are even several Americans in California willing to adopt Kabang.
Even as Kabang has not gone home to Zamboanga, many concerned citizens and animal lovers in Metro Manila (me included) wish Kabang, two years old, the best of life.
Money continues to arrive for the sustained medication and well-being of Kabang, who, aside from the reconstructive snout surgery, had also undergone parasite treatment and initial symptoms of cancer.
People spying on Rudy also contend that Rudy is using Kabang as buffer to collect donations to “support his drinking vice.”
Interviewed on DZMM radio, Rudy said he would stop drinking and agree to undergo rehab, even showing proof of his concern for Kabang by nailing patches of wood to cover holes on the wooden floor of his house.
“I don’t want Kabang to fall through those holes,” he said.
Still, concerned folk do not want Kabang back to Rudy, which brings us to the question: Is Rudy Kabang’s “biological father” and, therefore, Rudy has the absolute right for custody of the hero-dog?
Except for that “tooth case” on JR, there is no record of maltreatment suffered by Kabang under Rudy’s care.
I’m pretty sure that when Kabang is finally reunited with Rudy, she’d break into unrestrained delight seeing her Boss again.
Dogs are like that. Loyal. Devoted. Forever forgiving.
Why can’t we be like them?
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