Pit Bull Sacrifices His Life Protecting Kids From Deadly Snake

Our dogs are truly angels sent from above since they are always there for us and will willingly lay down their lives for us. One Florida family found out just the depths of their dog Zeus’s loyalties after he laid down his life for two of the family’s four kids by protecting them against a poisonous snake.

Their mother Gina Richardson revealed to CNN how her 10-year-old son, Oriley, was playing in the family’s backyard in Webster, Florida, when the 9-month-old Zeus, a pit bull, suddenly sprang in the boy’s direction. Oriely did note that Zeus was attacking something in the grass, but the young boy assumed that it was a rope. He had no idea what it really was, and didn’t think anything of it.

We don’t deserve our dogs, they’re too good. 🙏😞

— Nilofar Durrani (@nilofar_durrani) September 30, 2019

However, what Oriely didn’t realize, was that the “rope” he assumed Zeus was attacking, was actually a venomous coral snake. The young Zeus was doing his best to protect the young boy from the imminent danger. At the time, 11-year-old Orion had gone into the backyard to freshen up the dog’s water, and he too was stepping into danger. But, Zeus succeeded in keeping the snake away from both boys. He managed to keep the snake away from both dogs by using his body mass to keep the snake down and he literally laid down on the snake in order to protect the boys.

Gina went on to explain that it was Orion who first noticed that something was wrong with Zeus. The boy noted that Zeus’s eyes were “bugged out,” and when they rolled him over, Orion discovered that the deceased snake laying under the brave pup. It was a gruesome discovery. Zeus had managed to bite the snake’s head off and swallow it, but not before he was bitten four times by the venomous reptile. The family immediately rushed their beloved pup to the vet for anti-venom.

Sadly, Zeus paid the ultimate price for his bravery. The courageous puppy died the next day.

Gina said, “I just started bawling. My kids woke up and heard me crying and then they too started crying. We were all an emotional wreck.”

The whole family, including Zeus’s mother, Sega, went to the animal hospital in order to say their goodbyes to the precious Zeus.

Gina added, “Sega goes over to Zeus’ head and puts her paws up on the table and takes a sniff.”

“Her ears came back, she got down, she instantly jumped on the sofa next to me and put her head on my thigh in sorrow. At that moment not only was my family broken, but his own mother was broken.” Gina added.

She was very grateful to Zeus and said, “I feel like I may have lost one of my children had he not been there.”

Gina said she would always be “forever grateful” to Zeus for giving his life to save her sons, Orion and Oriely.

Oriley shared his sadness and said, “He was a good boy and I loved him with all my heart. I played with him all the time. I feel sad and I miss him.”

Gary Richardson, the father of the boys, said he hoped that Zeus’s actions would help to break down the negative misconceptions that people have about pit bulls.

Gary said, “He was my best friend. I’m torn between wanting to be happy that this situation has brought awareness to his breed and their kind and loving nature, and the sorrow of having lost him.”

According to the New York Post, Gina said, “If you find [a pit bull] that’s aggressive, most likely, it’s because they weren’t treated right.”