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Dog shot multiple times while protecting 16-year-old from armed burglars

Posted at 6:39 PM, Feb 22, 2018
and last updated 2018-02-22 22:02:22-05

DES MOINES, Wash. – A 16-year-old Washington state boy was hiding in a closet giving updates to a 911 dispatcher during a burglary at his family's home, when he heard gunshots and his dog suddenly stopped barking.

Des Moines police Cmdr. Doug Jenkins said the first 911 call came in at about 12:20 p.m. about a home in the 1400 block of South 234th Street.

"A 16-year-old boy who was home alone said he believed someone was breaking in," Jenkins told KCPQ. "He heard noises and voices, ran upstairs and hid in closet. He continued relaying everything he heard on the phone with dispatch. The dog in the residence was barking. Then he heard breaking glass, and the dog still barking. Then he heard gunshots and the dog was no longer barking."

Officers arrived, got the teen safely out of the house and found the family dog wounded by an apparent gunshot. The rear sliding door of the home had been shattered, police said.

No arrests had been made as of Thursday afternoon.

The dog is now at BluePearl Veterinary Partners in Renton. Rex was shot in the neck, leg and knee.

Rex's family has already paid $2,000 for the scans, X-rays and other urgent treatment to stabilize him. Now, they need the money for the $8,000 surgery today to save his life. The bullet wound to his neck is the most serious and life-threatening injury. Click here if you'd like to help.