A superhero pet proved dogs really are our best friends when he took a bullet in the nose to protect his family.
Guluva was shot in the face when he leapt to protect his owner’s boyfriend after a gang pulled a gun on him in their home in Mitchells Plain, Cape Town.
His owner, Derrick Mfengwana, told News24 how his heroic doggo saw an armed thug pull a gun on his sister’s boyfriend.
Derrick told how the boyfriend drove up to the open gate of their home when the carjackers approached him with a gun, while one of the men told him ‘give me the car keys’.
He told the news channel:
The dog was inside the yard and went for one of the men.
I was watching a movie inside and heard the gunshot.
I heard my girlfriend and sister screaming and thought they had shot her boyfriend because I saw blood around the house.
But in actual fact, Guluva had jumped up, and began attacking one of the armed men, who shot him in the nose. As Guluva fought the thugs, the boyfriend was able to run into the home to safety.
Derrick continued:
When we went outside, I saw my dog was bleeding. He was still standing and running around.
The carjackers quickly ran away, and Derrick and his family got Guluva to the closest vets, which happened to be the Animal Welfare Society of South Africa.
Vets told Derrick the bullet had damaged his pooch’s jaw and tongue, but the hero animal is now making a speedy recovery with staff at the centre reporting he’s responding well to treatment.
Horrifyingly, a spokesperson for the animal centre revealed that Guluva was the fourth animal they’d cared for in just two weeks who’d suffered bullet wounds.
A cat and two more dogs were admitted with facial and upper body wounds resulting from gun shots.
It just goes to show the extreme lengths animals are willing to go to, to protect their beloved owners.
Here’s to wishing Guluva a quick and healthy recovery – can someone get that dog a medal, please?
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Emma Rosemurgey is an NCTJ trained Journalist who started her career by producing The Royal Rosemurgey newspaper in 2004, which kept her family up to date with the goings on of her sleepy north east village. She graduated from the University of Central Lancashire in Preston and started her career in regional newspapers before joining Tyla (formerly Pretty 52) in 2017, and progressing onto UNILAD in 2019.