A family in Tampa believes their rescue 2-year-old German Shepherd took a rattlesnake bite to protect his human, a 7-year-old girl.
The girl, Molly DeLuca, was picking up Haus' dog toys in their fenced-in backyard. The dog, Haus, was right beside when suddenly, Molly's grandmother, saw the dog jumping around in a frantic mode.
The grandmother saw Haus jump forward and snap back about three times. It was then they found an eastern diamondback rattlesnake in the backyard. The species is said to be the most venomous in all of North America.
When the ordeal ended, they realized that every time Haus snapped back, he was being bitten by the rattlesnake.
When the family went to the emergency veterinary clinic near their home, blood was pouring out of Haus' leg but he was still able to walk.
It only took minutes for the dog's condition to go from bad to worse. He started to drool and have breathing problems. He also wasn't able to pick up his own head.
The attending doctors thought the snake bit the dog just once, thinking that basic instincts cause most dogs to escape. When they shaved down Haus' fur, what they found was most touching.
The snake bit Haus three times when he placed himself between Molly and the predator. In the course, the dog saved his little human's life.
"He has a 50/50 shot at survival. He's in the best hands at my life-long vet clinic. Vet says anti-venom helps systemically but isn't a cure all. We have a road of recovery ahead. He will need care for an unknown period of time," Molly's mother, Donya Pearson DeLuca, wrote on Facebook on May 12.
The DeLuca family got Haus following the loss of their beloved 12-year-old dog named Bair. Haus' treatment for the venom bites was expensive but hundreds of donors came to Haus' rescue that their GoFundMe page topped the $15,000 goal in just several hours.
While Haus is in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in Blue Pearl Emergency Veterinary and Specialty Hospital, he is responding to treatment despite the venom damage in his kidneys. His doctors are expecting a full recovery.
