Zamboanga’s hero dog honored with statue

NEWLEASE ON LIFE In this 2013 photo, veterinarian Anton Lim presents Kabang to reporters after the dog’s surgery in the United States. —INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines — A dog lover has commissioned Mindanao artist Kublai Millan to create a 1.2-meter statue made of aluminum to honor local canine hero Kabang, who lost part of her snout while saving two young girls from a speeding motorcycle almost 10 years ago.

Dr. Anton Lim, a veterinarian who went to great lengths to find a way to fix the dog’s life-threatening injury, told the Inquirer that the statue would be a gift to Zamboangueños, the Philippines and the world by an anonymous donor who was touched by Kabang’s story.

“The statue [will serve] as a testament [to] a dog’s unconditional love,” Lim said. “It [will] be a constant reminder to us of that love and why we have to love them and for us to serve as their voice and protect them against animal cruelty. It is the mission of Kabang that aspins should not be treated differently because she is a mixed dog or aspin,” Lim said. Aspin is short for “asong Pinoy” or Philippine mongrel.

“We will embed into the statue a time capsule with the first newspaper article on Kabang by [Inquirer reporter] Julie Alipala, along with [her] fur and nail trimmings,” said Mona Consunji, Team Kabang member.

Heroic deed

“The statue will honor the heroic deed of Kabang and be a constant reminder to us that our pets deserve our protection and love in return,” she said. “Since Kabang is a mixed breed, her story should open the eyes of people and [encourage them] not to treat them differently.”

Kabang, who turned 13 last month, became a national celebrity after she jumped into the path of a motorcycle on Nuñez Extension here on

Dec. 14, 2011, saving the daughter and niece of her owners, Rody and Christina Bunggal, from being run over.

The dog, however, lost the upper portion of her snout after it was crushed by the motorcycle.

The proposed statue would be installed on Roseller T. Lim Boulevard, known here as Cawa-Cawa, said Lim. The city government, however, was still deliberating on the exact spot. “I suggested that [it] should be a dog-friendly area, where dog lovers could converge and bond with dogs and other dog owners,” Lim said.

In the event of Kabang’s passing, the installation would also serve as her final resting place. “[Funding has] been donated to Team Kabang for that purpose,” he said.