by They say a dog is man’s best friend, and one pit bull pup in Florida went above and beyond to protect his family, sᴀᴄʀɪꜰɪᴄɪɴɢ his ᴏᴡɴ ʟɪꜰᴇ. Zeus, the 9-month-old pup ᴅɪᴇᴅ after it was ʙɪᴛᴛᴇɴ by a ᴠᴇɴᴏᴍᴏᴜs snake while trying to sᴀᴠᴇ its human companion. The incident took place when kids of one Georgina Richardson were outside the family’s home in Sumter County cleaning the dog’s water dish when the pup saw the coral snake.
Mr. Richardson told: “Immediately, Zeus ᴀᴛᴛᴀᴄᴋᴇᴅ the snake, which was so close to my son and shaking it around, he got ʙɪᴛᴛᴇɴ 4 times. Revealing Zeus’ face began to sᴡᴇʟʟ ᴜᴘ and his ʟɪꜰᴇʟᴇss ʙᴏᴅʏ of a red was ɢʟᴀʀɪɴɢ, Mr. Richardson added: “When he came in, I knew something was completely wrong and it was really ᴛʀᴀᴜᴍᴀᴛɪᴄ because it was apparent he was ᴅʏɪɴɢ.”
The dog sᴜꜰꜰᴇʀᴇᴅ several ʙɪᴛᴇs and was rushed to the Veterinary Hospitals in Ocala where it was ᴀᴅᴍɪɴɪsᴛᴇʀᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴛɪ-ᴠᴇɴᴏᴍ. Hospital staff then informed Richardson that they would call her the following morning with an update on Zeus’s condition. She woke up early the next morning and called the hospital to receive the ʙᴀᴅ ɴᴇᴡs that Zeus had ᴅɪᴇᴅ.
Richardson family told that Zeus was born at their home on New Year’s Day and was a huge part of her family. They was touched by his sᴀᴄʀɪꜰɪᴄᴇ.
“I’m thankful he gave his life for our kids,” Georgina Richardson said. “He will be remembered by the many hearts he has touched across the world now.” She also talked about how Zeus is changing the stigma around pit bulls, saying he has become an “ambassador” for the Staffordshire bull terrier breeds.
“If you find (a pit bull) that’s ᴀɢɢʀᴇssɪᴠᴇ, most likely, it’s because they weren’t treated right. If you treat them right, they would give ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ʟɪꜰᴇ for you and I owe my sᴏɴ’s ʟɪꜰᴇ to him,” Georgina Richardson add.
