Pet Dog Bitten By Rattlesnake While Trying To Protect Owners

A pet dog was bitten by a rattlesnake as it tried to protect its family from the reptile. The incident took place in South Dakota on Friday, July 31.

Speaking to local television station KEVN, Devin Diede said the incident took place when he and his wife, Alex, were hiking. Neither of them saw the reptile. However, their 11-year-old Yorkshire Terrier, named Bear, did notice the rattlesnake and saved the owners from it. The dog was, however, bitten in the process.

"Alex would have stepped on the snake and bit her if Bear had not been there to take the bite," Deide said. The couple rushed their pet to a vet after noticing that it was limping.

Alex carried Bear two miles and once they reached their car, they drove for about an hour and a half to get to the vet. However, by then, Bear could no longer walk.

"Thankfully, the veterinarians and technicians at the emergency animal clinic in Rapid City were wonderful. The vet took him and immediately started a blood transfusion," Diede told the channel.

The couple left the canine at the vet overnight. They said they weren’t sure if Bear would survive. Tests revealed the canine was bitten once on the chest near the shoulder. The following day, the vet told them the dof's bloodwork was great following which they could take their pet home.

"He’s doing surprisingly well. He’s walking around just fine and as happy as could be. He’s a tough little guy and most definitely a hero," Diede told the channel.

In a similar incident last year, a pet dog died while trying to save its owner’s toddler son from a venomous cobra in Philippines. The one-year-old baby was sleeping in the room when the two pet Dachshunds fought the cobra in an attempt to stop the reptile from entering the home. The canines attacked the reptile and bit it repeatedly. The reptile too bit the canines before dying minutes later. While one of the dogs died, the other underwent treatment and was listed stable.