DES MOINES, Wash. (WSVN) — A German Shepherd is being hailed as a hero after getting shot multiple times while protecting his 16-year-old owner.
KCPQ reports the 2-year-old dog named Rex was shot three times Wednesday after armed burglars broke into his home.
Javier Mercado, 16, was home at the time, and says his pet most likely saved his life.
Javier called 911 when he heard burglars breaking into the house, and decided to hide in a closet. He said he tried to get Rex to hide in the closet with him, but the dog instead ran downstairs and confronted the burglars at the front door.
“I started hearing barking, a lot of barking, and then one of the guys screamed, ‘The dog bit me, the dog bit me!'” Javier recalled.
That’s when he heard gunfire, and the sound of his four-legged friend yelping in pain.
But despite being wounded, Rex didn’t give up. When the burglars started heading toward the room where Javier was hiding, the injured dog once again attacked the suspects.
“They didn’t hesitate shooting Rex, they didn’t hold back on anything,” said Javier. “If Rex wasn’t there, they would have opened that door and they would have saw me in there.”
The burglars took off when they heard police sirens approaching the house.
The Mercados rushed Rex to an animal hospital, where they found out he’d been shot in his neck and both hind legs.
“I just want to thank my dog,” Javier said. “If it wasn’t for him, I feel like I wouldn’t be standing here right now.”
To donate toward Rex’s medical care, click here.
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