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By My-Thuan Tran For The LA Times
A dog who was shot three times when he went to his family’s rescue during a home-invasion robbery in the Hollywood Hills is lucky to be alive, said the veterinarian who performed emergency surgery on the boxer-Weimaraner mix.
Five-year-old Aslan was shot Wednesday when three suspects forced their way into the home in the 8200 block of Mannix Drive and demanded a male resident open a safe, from which they stole a large quantity of cash, officials said.
The intruders shot the man in the neck, and when his dog confronted them, they shot the animal in the neck, shoulder and leg, said Lt. Bob Binder of the LAPD’s Hollywood Division. The man is in stable condition, Binder said. The suspects — three men and a woman — fled on foot and were later arrested.
Narcotics detectives were called to the home Wednesday night after police uncovered evidence during the robbery investigation, Binder said. A search warrant was issued on the residence. Binder would not say what evidence was found.
Aslan suffered life-threatening wounds, said Stephen Bilbrey, a veterinary surgeon at the Animal Specialty Group, an animal hospital in Los Angeles.
One bullet struck Aslan in the leg, fracturing it. Another bullet went through the dog’s left shoulder. A third bullet went through the animal’s neck and across its chest, puncturing its lungs and diaphragm and lodging in its liver.
Bilbrey performed a two-hour surgery that included removing part of the dog’s lungs and extracting the bullet from its liver.
“He’s been doing pretty darn well,†Bilbrey said. “If the bullet had hit one of his major structures, he would have been dead within minutes.â€
Bilbrey said the dog is expected to make a full recovery. It is currently resting at the hospital with a pink cast on its leg.
“The owner did tell me that the dog alerted them that people were breaking into their home,†Bilbrey said. “She felt the dog saved their lives.â€
It's sad the way Aslan keeps being referred to as “it” and “the animal” in this story, because it makes it sound like Aslan is an object, like a worthless coffee table, and not the hero and family member he is. Notice the veterinarian quoted refers to Aslan as “he” and “him,” there's a real reason for not calling companion animals “it.” Too many people think of dogs or cats as unfeeling objects to abuse, neglect, toss away like unwanted garbage. Alsan is a hero, *he's* a hero, not an “it” or “the animal.”
It's sad the way Aslan keeps being referred to as “it” and “the animal” in this story, because it makes it sound like Aslan is an object, like a worthless coffee table, and not the hero and family member he is. Notice the veterinarian quoted refers to Aslan as “he” and “him,” there's a real reason for not calling companion animals “it.” Too many people think of dogs or cats as unfeeling objects to abuse, neglect, toss away like unwanted garbage. Alsan is a hero, *he's* a hero, not an “it” or “the animal.”