When burglars broke into the home of Javier Mercado, 16, he grabbed his two-year-old German shepherd pup Rex and rushed to hide himself and the dog in his closet.
But the pup’s instinct to protect his home drove him to dash out of the wardrobe the moment he heard a window shattering downstairs.
The pup bit fiercely at the intruders, who beat him in turn, as Javier heard the commotion but was powerless to do anything, as he had already alerted the police. Then, the robbers made their way towards his room, and Rex pounced on them and prevented them from advancing any further. Mercilessly, Rex was shot three times, but his mission to protect Javier had succeeded – the police arrived before the robbers could get to his bedroom where he was hidden, and they ran off.
Rex was then rushed to the vet. The police – and Javier – were unsure if he would survive, but luckily, the pup pulled through. After surgery which repaired his left leg, the pup was fine and free to come home.
Now, with his head in a cone, Rex is finally home with a very grateful Javier. According to Javier, the pup is expected to make a full recovery, though he is very jumpy around loud noises now – something Javier will be working on with him as time goes on. Rex is a true selfless hero, and his brave actions saved Javier’s life – a fact the world will not soon forget.
Feature Image Source: Julia Cadena/GoFundMe