Dog shot during home invasion robbery resting after surgery

[Beaverhausen]

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/12/dog-shot-in-hollywood-hills-home-invasion-resting-after-surgery.html

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.”

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.”

[Sukie]

1. It is so wonderful that Aslan is recovering. I hope the owners

rethink keeping huge amounts of money in their home.....(sneaking suspicion that something isn't right about that)

[Vidar]

2. I'm glad Asian and his owner will recover.

[rfranklin]

3. So this was a drug ripoff...

Too bad the dog was involved.

[SteveM]

4. Thank god the dog made it through. These are the thugs we are supposed...

to be so sensitive to when they invade our house. Nothin' but vicious trash.

[damntexdem]

5. Well, see, if only that dog had had a gun.

;-)

[lukasahero]

6. I'm beginning to live in fear of such a scenario

Then I would have to spend the rest of my days hunting down these beasts so I could kill them with my bare hands.

(And yeah, go ahead and give me grief about violence not solving the problem. I. Don't. Care.)

[apocalypsehow]

7. But the most important question is, of course, how's the poor gun doing?

Inquiring minds want to know. :shrug:

And I'm sure they'll soon be showing up here to remind us where our real focus & concern should be....

[Pavulon]

8. Illegal drugs seem to be at play here..

cash only markets tend to drive crime. Legalize it and problems go away.

[apocalypsehow]

9. Focus, man FOCUS! De-criminalizing drugs is so...progressive. What's really needed to counter gun

violence is more guns! A gun in every waistband, I tell yah! :thumbsup: