Hero Dog Saves Woman, Four Other Dogs From Deadly Rattlesnake

A heroic dog named Red defended his family against a diamondback rattlesnake when it suddenly appeared in their yard.

On a GoFundMe page created for the pooch, Kayla Alexander wrote that her mother and their four dogs were walking through their yard when the poisonous snake attacked. Red, at the head of the pack, “went into protection mode” and instantly tried to divert the snake away from her mom and the other three dogs, taking several bites to the face in the process.

Her mother yelled for help, and Alexander’s brother came out to try and kill the snake. As the mom attempted to pull Red back, another of their dogs, Quail, was bit in the face.

After Alexander’s brother killed the snake, Red and Quail were driven to the emergency clinic, where they each received two vials of antivenom.

Each vial of antivenom cost $1,000. The GoFundMe page added that the dogs required hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which involves “breathing pure oxygen in a pressurized room or tube,” according to the Mayo Clinic. It’s commonly used to treat scuba diving accidents.

Alexander reported that the family’s costs exceeded $10,000, which is why they launched the fundraising page.

Thankfully, both dogs were able to come home, but they needed to return to the hospital to continue the oxygen therapy. They were also aided by antibiotics and pain medication.

In addition to paying for treatment, Alexander said she’d like to donate leftover funds “to other pets in need of veterinarian services.”

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Editor’s Note: This piece was first published on June 23, 2016.