The dogs were treated with anti-venom.
A pair of hero dogs helped protect a Florida woman’s grandchildren from being bitten by a venomous snake on Tuesday.
The snake, which was lurking in the front yard of Melissa Butt’s home, went unseen until her 9-month-old puppy, Paco, started barking at it. That’s when her other dog, Slayer, a 3-year-old pit bull-mix, jumped into action, killing the reptile.
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Butt’s grandchildren, 1-year-old Mallory and 3-year-old Zayden, were inches from the snake, and were not harmed, thanks to the quick action of her dogs. The canines, however, both suffered venomous bites.
“I think it would have been much worse had that snake gotten my grandkids instead of my big dog,” Butt told InsideEdition.com. “Mallory is less than 2 years old and had she been bitten I think it would have been a completely different story we’d be telling.”
The family put the snake, later identified as a copperhead, in a bag just in case. It turns out they did the right thing.
Thirty minutes after Slayer killed the snake, his entire face swelled up. The snake bit Paco on the leg.
Butt took both dogs to the veterinary hospital where they received anti-venom. Paco was released the same day while Slayer was kept until Wednesday after having to receive a second dose of anti-venom to reduce his swelling.
A local organization, Frank’s Friends, helped the family pay the nearly $10,000 bill for their treatment.
“Paco is 100 percent healed. He is right back to being a puppy,” Butt said. “Slayer comes home today. He is eating and happy and healthy again.”
She is thankful that Slayer lived up to his name, adding that the pup is usually extremely protective.
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“That’s what he does. He will put himself in the front like whenever he thinks the family is in danger,” Butt said.
“I do feel as small as my grandkids are, it could have been life-threatening for my grandbabies," she added. "Slayer’s my boy."
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