Zayden, 4, and his sister Mallory, 18 months, were playing together outside in their grandmother’s yard in Florida, when all of a sudden the family dogs began to growl.
Three-year-old Slayer and nine-month-old Paco, both Pit Bulls, barked persistently at the grass near the kids. Their grandmother, Melissa, tried to get the dogs to be quiet, but they wouldn’t stop. Not knowing what they were barking at, their mom, Cynthia, grew worried and quickly brought her kids inside the house.
That’s when Melissa noticed what her dogs were barking at – a copperhead snake that was nearby, hiding in the grass. The dogs continued barking at it, trying to scare it away, but the snake attacked them. It bit Paco’s elbow and Slayer’s face, but neither of them backed down.
Slayer then grabbed the snake in his mouth and killed it.
Melissa rushed Paco and Slayer to BluePearl emergency vet for treatment. The 40-minute ride felt like hours as Melissa worried about her dogs’ worsening conditions.
Slayer’s face was swelling up and his breathing became labored. Melissa was uncertain of what would happen, but she knew she had to get there as quickly and safely as possible.
BluePearl Veterinary Partners via TODAY
Once they arrived at the hospital, both dogs received anti-venom treatments. While Slayer’s recovery was much longer than Paco’s, both dogs survived and are doing well.
Slayer’s face was so swollen that he couldn’t even stick his tongue out. They gave him another dose of anti-venom, along with some medication, and he was looking better in no time.
Had the dogs not been near the kids in the grass, the kids could have gotten bit. The pups are truly heroes!
While Pit Bulls get a bad rap, hopefully their heroism in this story will show people how loyal these dogs can be.
