Recently, another heartwarming story of a loyal dog sacrificing itself to save its owners played out in the United States.
“Poncho” is a male mixed-breed bullmastiff who was adopted by the Martinez family from Española, New Mexico, eight years ago. Today, this family is more grateful than ever to this aging dog because last month when a knife-wielding man broke into their upstairs home to steal, the normally kind and obedient Poncho bravely rushed forward to protect his owners from the attack, risking his own life in a physical struggle with the intruder.
Now, Poncho is a hero in the eyes of the Martinez couple. To show their gratitude, they recently rewarded him with a giant peanut butter cake, with the words “Best Dog” prominently displayed on the packaging.
“He seemed to enjoy the excessive attention from people, wagging his tail constantly,” Mattie Allen from the Española Humane Society told The Epoch Times. “He always has a smile on his face and a bit of a proud look.”
Seeing the happy Poncho in front of them, it’s hard to imagine what he had gone through just a few weeks before. Ms. Allen witnessed the anxious moment on June 5 when the Martinez couple rushed him to the shelter at 7:45 in the morning to seek veterinary care, driving through multiple towns overnight.
Shelter staff immediately removed the bandage wrapped around the dog’s neck by his owners and found a “very large” wound. “This is the largest wound I have ever seen,” Ms. Allen said, caused by the man cutting Poncho’s jugular vein.
Several veterinarians quickly rushed to save Poncho, but his heartbeat stopped momentarily due to severe blood loss. However, they managed to successfully bring him back from the brink of death.
“By that afternoon, we were sure he was out of danger,” Ms. Allen said. “At that moment, we reunited him with his family in peace.”
Poncho is usually gentle and cute, but on the night the thief broke into the house, he became unusually fierce. The family suddenly heard him barking ferociously at something upstairs, indicating that that “something” shouldn’t be there.
“They quickly ran upstairs to find Poncho engaged in a fierce battle with the knife-wielding intruder,” Ms. Allen said. “According to Mr. Martinez’s description, the brutal intruder then stabbed him in the neck with a knife, severing his jugular vein, causing blood to gush out from the wound. Even so, Poncho held onto the intruder’s arm tightly, completely disregarding his own life and death.”
Just as Poncho’s owners told him to let go, the already overwhelmed male thief took advantage and fled. Mr. Martinez chased after the man along the street until someone tackled him to the ground, leading to his arrest by local police. He was later charged with felonious home invasion and severe animal abuse.
According to Ms. Allen’s assessment, during the confrontation, the intruder may have also kicked Poncho several times, as he slipped a disc in his back. In the days following the surgery, he limped while walking. Fortunately, with meticulous treatment from the veterinarians, this symptom quickly disappeared.
Ms. Allen said Poncho “received various steroid medications, acupuncture, and laser therapy.” Now, he has fully recovered and can even run. “This aging dog has recovered remarkably well; he has truly created a miracle.”
It is worth mentioning that Ms. Allen was fortunate to witness a heartwarming scene. She said that at the moment when Poncho underwent surgery to save his life, Mr. Martinez knelt on both knees, cradled Poncho’s cheeks in his hands, then touched heads with him, sincerely promising him that he would frequently enjoy tender and delicious ribeye steaks in the future.