Javier Mercado was home alone with his German shepherd Rex when armed robbers broke in.

He hid in a closet while Rex fended them off.

Rex was shot three times and had to undergo surgery, but he's on the mend.

A fundraising campaign with a $10,000 goal for Rex's medical expenses surpassed $60,000.

He's now known as "Rex The Hero Dog."



Rex The Hero Dog earned his name.

Sixteen-year-old Javier Mercado was home alone with his two-year-old German shepherd Rex in Des Moines, Iowa, when armed robbers shattered a glass sliding door and broke in on February 21, Q13 Fox News reports. Mercado called 911 and hid in a closet while Rex barked at and attacked the intruders. They shot Rex in the leg, knee, and neck, while Mercado remained undiscovered and unharmed thanks to his dog's bravery.

According to Mercado's aunt, "Rex stormed back to the upstairs floor all beat up and bloody from the beating to check on his master who was still hiding in the closet. Soon, the burglars proceeded to the upstairs floor and trashed all the bedrooms. As they entered the room where my nephew was hiding in the closet, Rex came out with the little strength he had left in him and threw himself at them as he knew my nephew was in danger."

The robbers left when they heard police sirens approaching.

Between X-rays and a surgery that saved his life, Rex's medical expenses added up to $10,000. The family started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to pay for the procedures, which surpassed that goal and raised over $60,000 in five days.

Rex was discharged from the hospital on Friday and is recovering like a champ.

Rex The Hero Dog is recovering nicely. GoFundMe

Doctors say he'll have arthritis and will require physical therapy, but is expected to make a full recovery within two months. His owners have dubbed him "Rex The Hero Dog," and continue to post updates to a Facebook page of the same name.

"Are we thinking dog treats for the rest of his life?" a reporter from KIRO 7 News asked Mercado as he loaded Rex into the car on the way home from the hospital.

"Chicken and steak and rice," Mercado said.