OAKLAND, Calif. — Surgeons successfully saved the leg of Buffy, a 7-year-old German shepherd in danger of losing her limb after being shot while defending her owner from a robber.

Buffy was shot in her left front leg by an armed man who approached Oakland resident Will Bartley, 44, in his driveway last week and demanded his wallet. The dog lunged at the mugger, who fired off two shots before fleeing with Bartley's credit cards and $400.

Veterinarians had given Buffy a 50-50 chance of losing her leg but managed to save it after four hours of surgery Tuesday at a San Leandro veterinary hospital, Bartley said.

"I am overwhelmed. Buffy is my life. I raised her. She's a member of my family. She's like a baby I birthed," said his wife, Lagree Bartley, 49.

No arrests have been made in the incident, said Oakland police Officer Roland Holmgren.

Information from: San Francisco Chronicle