Niko was shot on Detroit's west side (Credit: WJBK | myFOXDetroit.com)
DETROIT (WJBK) -
"I have some amazing guardian angels looking over me," said Gail King.
Late Saturday night in the 6000 block of Stahelin on Detroit's west side, "all I heard was a big cannon sound or a firecracker sound," King explained. "Then I noticed that my dog made a yelp and he was on his back and I think he went into seizure because his paws were flopping."
King's six-year-old yellow lab Niko had been shot.
"I jumped up and I went to the side and I looked out, and I [saw] a man pointing a gun at me."
"She's worried about her dog. I'm like check yourself. Make sure you [haven't been] shot, and then she found out she was shot," said Martin Osemlak.
In the chest, but she didn't even realize it. King was more concerned about her companion refusing to go in the ambulance until her neighbor promised to take care of Niko.
"We eventually got the dog to the animal hospital," Osemlak said.
"His whole upper jaw and part of his lower jaw were pretty much destroyed on the left side of his face," said Dr. Jeffrey Dizik.
Niko spent six hours in surgery and got close to 100 stitches. He is on lots of pain medication, but is doing much better now after the home invasion that could've killed him and his best friend.
"I think Niko saved my life because if he wouldn't have ran to the front door ... the person would've came in," said King. "I don't know if he would've just robbed me, if he would've shot me, did both. I think my dog saved my life."
Thousands of dollars in vet bills is something she can't afford, but now she does not have to worry about that.
"The donations have been non-stop of people wanting to help Niko, and if there's money left over, if the owner needs some help with her medical bills, we'll use some of the money there, and then we'll also try and keep some set aside in case he needs some future surgery down the road," Dizik said.
"I am so grateful for everybody. I can't thank everybody enough," said King.
She will need plastic surgery to repair the damage left behind from her gunshot wound. Meanwhile, that shooter is still out there. Detroit police officers, who King said responded quickly, are investigating.
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Niko was shot on Detroit's west side (Credit: WJBK | myFOXDetroit.com)
