Bella survives with dagger in her head

Stellenbosch - "Come quickly, your dog is running around in the street with a knife in her head."

These words, from a neighbour's phone call, woke Stellenbosch painter and musician Vernon Swart at 08:00 on Saturday.

It turned out Swart's six year old cross between a German shepherd and a terrier, Bella, foiled a robbery during which a robber pierced her head with a dagger.

Swart, known for his nudes and landscapes and as Valiant Swart's drummer, initially thought the call must be a joke.

"This is absurd," he said on Sunday, while Bella lay quietly in front of the fireplace in their home in Dennesigstraat, Stellenbosch.



Stitches

After the call he went outside, where "police came charging, guns drawn".

The neighbour called the police, because there were intruders on their property as well. The prospective robber(s) never entered the Swart house, but had to have been on their property.

Swart and his wife Ingrid, who were at work during the incident, but arrived home just after everything happened, then took Bella to a veterinarian.

She was placed under anesthetic and the vet "had to literally press his knee against her head" to pull the dagger out, Swart, whose son Lucas is the  drummer for Stellenbosch rock group The Pretty Blue Guns, said.

To their surprise Bella is fine, except for the stitches she had to get to close the wound.

Good watchdog

The dagger was stuck about 12 cm deep between her eyes and missed her brain.

Swart said he handed the dagger to the detective and the police will hopefully get some fingerprints from it.

Stellenbosch police spokesperson René Matthee said they are investigating a case of malicious damage to property.

To reward Bella for her courage, Ingrid Swart on Saturday cooked a piece of fillet for her.

According to Swart's wife Bella has been a good watchdog who has previously driven unwelcome guests from their property.