Filipinos posted artworks and a sculpture online to honor Kabang the hero female aspin who passed away this week.
Kabang, made local and international headlines in 2011 after she saved her owner’s daughter and cousin from being hit by a speeding motorcycle, thus losing his snout in the incident.
Dr. Anton Lim, the veterinarian who took care of the canine since her fur parent Rudy Bunggal died in 2015, announced the sad news of the dog’s passing in a post on May 17.
Lim shared that Kabang died in her sleep at 13 years old or 91 in human years.
“It is with profound sadness that I announce the demise of our hero dog +KABANG (February 2008-May 17, 2021.) I found her lying motionless near her bed tonight,” the veterinarian said.
“I last saw her very alive at 3 pm when I fed her and changed her water. When I went to her enclosed play area to feed her at 7 pm, she was dead, probably for one to two hours already. I knew she was out playing with the other dogs as always because of her usual soiled feet,” he added.
Lim later expressed gratitude for the inspiration Kabang gave to him and to other people.
“Thank you Kabang for the 8 years of unconditional love, loyalty and joy you brought to our family. Thank you for the life lessons and the inspiration you gave to the world. We will miss you. Hope to see you again. Rest in peace Kabang,” he said.
In another long post, Lim also how he went the extra mile and took the hero dog to the University of California- Davis in the United States to save her life. It was then when her heroic action also caught the attention of the media overseas.
The veterinarian also expressed how much he will miss Kabang in his home. He also shared a photo of two of them in the post.
“I will miss you jumping over the gate to greet me every time I get home, staying beside me when I work in the garden or acting like a supervisor when I mow the lawn. You were just there. Tonight, I missed washing your bowl and feeding you,” he said.
Tributes for the hero dog
Kabang’s name trended across social media platforms following reports of her death as Filipinos bid goodbye to her and expressed condolences to Lim and her caretakers.
Some Filipino artists, meanwhile, paid tribute to the hero dog in the form of creative artworks.
Facebook page named Kabang the Hero Dog, a group dedicated to honor her, shared photos of these artworks in their accounts.
A popular freelance artist named Kartunista Zach also shared his rendition of Kabang as a super dog.
“Run free, Kabang,” the caption read.
A statue and a memorial were also built for Kabang to be erected in Zamboanga City.
According to the group Kabang the Hero Dog, the memorial was a “negative impression” of the canine’s profile and her paw prints.
The aluminum statue, meanwhile, was sculpted by Davao artist Kublai Millan last April.
“The concrete vault will be laid permanently at the foot of the solid aluminum statue done by Davao artist Kublai Millan once it’s erected,” the group said.
“A Kabang fan in the US donated the fund in building the memorial. The local government of Zamboanga City is still looking for a fitting site to honor its local canine hero. The memorial will be our country’s first!” it added.