Dog’s Bravery After Being Stabbed During Home Invasion Earns Him ‘Ribeyes For the Rest of His Life’

Gabrielle LaFrank |

Jun 17, 2024

Pancho is a sweet, spotted dog from New Mexico who was rescued from Española Humane eight years ago, but neither he nor his family imagined that he would one day rescue them, too. The brave boy did not hesitate to protect his family for even a moment during a home invasion, and although it nearly cost him his life, a small community of animal lovers and veterinarians rallied to pull the pup from the brink.

Hero Wounded in Action

In the middle of the night on June 4, an armed teenage intruder broke into Pancho’s family’s home. The 16-year-old, who was apprehended after the incident, had a large knife, but that didn’t scare Pancho, who literally “leaped into action” and attacked the intruder. The dog was repeatedly kicked and suffered a massive stab wound to the neck, but he kept getting back up until the intruder fled the scene.

Dog's Bravery After Being Stabbed During Home Invasion Earns Him 'Ribeyes For the Rest of His Life' — *^{via Española Humane}*

Pancho’s injuries were extensive. Mattie Allen, the director of communications for Española Humane, told KOB4, “His jugular vein was severed; the fact that his trachea and esophagus are still intact is pretty miraculous. It was so deep it was a gaping wound.”

The hero dog‘s family drove around and called around for help, all while applying pressure to his wound, but eventually decided to drive an hour and a half to Albuquerque due to the late hour. But even there, they couldn’t find an emergency vet.

Desperate for help, they drove all the way back and turned to Española Humane, where the veterinarians at their tiny clinic leaped into action just as quickly as Pancho did. During one especially scary moment on the operating table, the dog’s heart stopped, but he was quickly revived and stabilized.

Since that moment, though, Pancho’s tail never stopped wagging. His dad stayed with him the entire time, telling him that he was a good boy and promising “ribeyes for the rest of his life” after such a heroic feat.

Celebrating Pancho’s Unbeatable Bravery

After a long surgery and a few days of rest, Española Humane began telling Pancho’s story. He quickly gained global praise and recognition, even earning himself a post on the popular social media account We Rate Dogs. Since his story went viral, Pancho’s fans have raised money to cover his medical bills, which the small rescue had already offered to take over. Donations can be made on the Española Humane website. The most exciting reward, however, is a very delicious fulfilled promise: steak! After Pancho was promised as much beef as his heart could desire, Omaha Steaks stepped in to make it happen.

^{Source: weratedogs-Instagram}

“Only the best for this pup! Recovering with ribeyes?” they asked on We Rate Dogs’ post. “We would love to send a cooler full of juicy ribeyes for his recovery! Get well soon, Pancho!” You’ll be glad to know that their offer has been accepted, and Española Humane is planning a barbecue to celebrate the pup’s heroic actions as soon as he’s recovered and ready. Good boy, Pancho!