News

Actions

Pit bulls save children from venomous snake

Posted at 8:29 AM, Aug 17, 2017
and last updated 2017-08-17 09:29:30-04

Two pit bulls saved a 4-year old boy and a 1-year old girl from a copperhead snake, the children's grandmother said.

The incident happened in Thonotosassa, Florida where Melissa Butt said she saw her dogs oddly looking into the grass, she told CBS News. After coming to the area, Butt said she saw a large snake — later identified as a poisonous copperhead.

The woman's daughter picked up the children while the pit bulls fought the snake. One of the dogs, a 9-month old named Paco was bit before the other dog, 3-year-old Slayer, bit and killed the snake. The two dogs were taken to the emergency vet, but survived.

"I know my dogs are heroes and without a doubt saved the lives of my grandchildren," Butt told CBS News. "They are too small to have fought something off like that. If they had gotten bit I'm 100 percent sure they wouldn't have survived."