Pit Bull Saves Kids From Venomous Snake But Dies During Heroic Act
When we bring a dog into our home, they are more than just a pet, they become a member of the family. We want to take care of them in every way we possibly can, and the feeling is mutual, writes blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood
There are times when we need to make difficult decisions or perhaps even go outside of our comfort zone to care for our dog. Dogs will do the same thing and they often do it without thinking.
That was the case with an eight-month-old pit bull named Zeus, who laid down his own life to protect the children in the family.
It took place in Sumter County, Florida, when the pit bull was playing outside with the kids.
Suddenly, Zeus started to act strangely and grabbed something that looked like a rope in his teeth and threw it to the side.
It wasn’t long before Zeus was sick, because he had been bitten by the coral snake that was threatening the children.
When a human is bitten by a coral snake, it can quickly cause distress because it keeps them from breathing. There isn’t much pain, but it doesn’t take long before respiratory failure can take place.
In the case of a dog, however, the effect can happen much more quickly.
The father, Gary Richardson, spoke to Fox 35, saying:
“All of a sudden, he started attacking the snake which was close to my son and he was bit four times. I knew when he first came in that something was wrong and (it) was very traumatic because I knew he was dying.”
Gary stayed with the children while the mother, Gina, took Zeus to the veterinarian. Even though it took almost no time for them to react, the dog died as a result of the snake bite.
Like many people, Gina Richardson feels that Zeus is a “member of the family.” She also laments the fact that her children weren’t able to say goodbye to the dog because things happened so quickly.
Gina also has something to say about people’s perception of pit bulls. Although they tend to have a bad reputation, mistreatment is usually behind any aggressive behavior.
She summed things up nicely, saying: “If you treat them right, they would give their life for you and I owe my son’s life to him.”
Source: blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com
