Last month we wrote about Kabang, the hero-dog in the Phillipines who saved two girls from being run over by a motorcycle late last year by leaping in front of the charging machine. The girls survived unscathed, not not Kabang. Her snout became caught in the spokes, and it was ripped off.

Since then, the snoutless dog has become a folk hero, and efforts to bring to her the U.S. for surgery seemed to be progressing. But since our story ran, we’ve learned from Karen Kenngott, the coordinator for Project Kabang, that the group is short of its goal to pay for her surgery at UC Davis’ famed Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. The group now has a website up, Care for Kabang, and is accepting donations.

Once Kabang is in the U.S., the reconstructive surgery to properly close Kabang’s wounds will be led by groundbreaking surgeons Dr. Boaz Arzi and Dr. Frank Verstraete of UC Davis. Recently, the pair made headlines with their experimental reconstructive procedure to regrow the jaws of dogs that had been removed because of cancer. (“After Cancer, Whisky Gets a New Jaw — Which Grew Itself”)

Kabang is still in the Philippines. According to Care for Kabang, air travel is to be provided by Philippine Airlines, ground travel by Global Animal Transport of Canyon Country, and lodging by Hallmark Inn of Davis, California. The group needs money only for the surgery and the recovery, which is expected to be more than $20,000.

Care for Kabang has received nearly $8,000, according to the group’s Facebook page. You can also follow Care for Kabang on Twitter.