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File this one under Miracle Stories.
Sweet, gentle Polo, the beloved 12-year-old pet of a Colorado family, was home alone when a burglar broke in. Greenwood Village Police say the intruder or intruders shot the loving Lab in the face.
Upon discovering her at home, her family rushed her to VRCC Emergency Hospital where doctors went to work on her extensive injuries. The blast, they say, shattered her jaw, blew out teeth and nearly severed her tongue. Thankfully, there was enough of it left to salvage.
“It looked like a bomb had gone off,” veterinary dentist Dr. Don Beebe told Fox 31. “We had to go in and remove the tooth fragments, the metal shrapnel embedded deep within tissues,” Dr. Beebe added. “Her poor tongue was almost ripped in two, but there was enough left to salvage.”
In true Lab fashion, Polo remained in good spirits. Once appropriately medicated, she was back to wagging her tail. The dog has successfully already had two reconstructive surgeries so far.
It was the placement of the entry that likely saved her. The spray’s path steered clear of her eyes and brain. But even so, her recovery is astonishing.
“The path of the bullet narrowly missed two major arteries in her jaw bone, and she easily could have bled out and died, and it’s amazing that she’s still with us,” Dr. Beebe said.
Polo’s family set up a GoFundMe for her care, but at press time it had already exceeded its $13,000 goal due to a rash of donations.
Police have not yet caught the suspect or suspects. If you know anything about the incident, you’re encouraged to give them a call.
