Family Dog Is Hero For Fighting Poisonous Snake

[matcom]

<snip>

LOS ANGELES -- A golden retriever from Florida has won the National Hero Dog award for attacking a poisonous coral snake that was lurking near his owners.

Seven-year-old Brutis, who lives on a 10-acre ranch in Hudson, Fla., arrived in Santa Monica Wednesday with his owner Fran Oreto to accept the honor.

"What an honor to bestow on my poor dog," Oreto said from her hotel room.

The 22nd annual National Hero Dog award does not honor trained rescue dogs but "your basic family pet that unbeknownst to you has the ability to save your life," said Madeline Bernstein, president of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles.

Oreto said she was picnicking with her grandchildren in September when Brutis snatched a six-inch-long snake that was just five feet from them. Brutis suffered a bite and was taken to an animal emergency hospital, where he received antivenin more than three hours after the attack.

http://www.wftv.com/newsofthestrange/3274990/detail.html

[Rainbowreflect]

1. All my golden attacks is his own tail.

But he does make me healthier by keeping me laughing.

[commander bunnypants]

2. here here

for a smarter animal

DDQM

[blindpig]

3. good puppy, but

the chances of a 6" coral(if it was truly a coral, there are 2 mimics found in the area)are very small. A young child would have to pick up the snake and then get bit in the webbing of the fingers for the bite of a snake that small to have any effect due to the very small gape.
If that pup was suffering from coral envenomation it should have been put on a ventilator as that venom is neurotoxic, its primary effect to paralyze the auto nervous system. It would pass within a day. Antivenin treatment can be dangerous in itself and is sometimes unnecessary.
BTW, the proper term is venomous not poisonous.