(WBIR - KNOXVILLE) A "war dog" treated at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine for injuries she suffered stateside is headed home.
Doctors at the center spent the last few weeks nursing Layka, a Belgian Malinois, back to health.
The decorated military dog was reunited with her longtime handler, Julian McDonald.
Layka lost a leg years ago during a battle in Afghanistan. McDonald was with her then.
Her fellow troops credit the "war dog" for saving their lives during one mission where she suffered several shots from a machine gun and still managed to grab and hold down the enemy soldier.
Her heroics earned her a spot on the cover of "National Geographic."
She's been in specialized hydro-therapy for weeks at the reknowned UT vet school after suffering a freak injury involving a four-wheeler back home in Oklahoma.
Her doctors at UT say Layka is making good progress.
She'll still need a brace on and off for another few weeks to keep her front leg stable. But they expect to see her again near the end of the month and hope to give the 5-year-old a clean bill of health.
