Española, New Mexico - One dog repaid the family that took him in when no one else would have him by heroically stopping a robbery – even as it almost cost him his life.

What happened in Española, New Mexico is a dog owner's worst nightmare.

As Newsweek reported, Pancho the dog sniffed out a burglar breaking into his home earlier this month and heroically confronted the man armed with a knife.

In his attempt to protect his owners, the dog became a target.

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Pancho was kicked and stabbed several times in the neck, but his valiant efforts kept the ruthless burglar at bay until neighbors and the police came to the rescue.

Only afterward did it become clear that the doggo had almost sacrificed his life in the process, as the pooch suffered serious injuries to his neck from the knife stabs. The violent kicks to his back also caused a herniated disc.

In a dramatic rescue operation, he was first given makeshift care at home and then taken for further help in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

But no one could take care of Pancho, so his owners decided to turn around and drive to where he had already been rescued once before – the animal rights activists at Española Humane.

When Pancho was finally on the operating table, his heart had stopped beating and blood was leaking uncontrollably from his throat, according to Española director Mattie Allen.

Throughout the operation, Pancho's family stood next to him and tearfully promised their pet that they would serve him steaks whenever he liked.

This message seemed to have worked, as in the end, the hero hound survived the complicated procedure and was able to stand again after just a few days and enjoy the steaks he had been promised.

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"It reminds me time and time again that we just don't compare to animals," Allen said.

"They're so resilient and so forgiving. Pancho's tail has never stopped wagging and he's never not trusted all of us. It's just unbelievable."