8-Month-Old Pitbull Battled A Deadly Snake To Save His Family But Lost His Own Life—'I Owe My Son’s Life to Him'

May 27, 2020 by apost team

Dogs are fiercely loyal, that's why we love them so much and consider them close members of the family.

Pitbulls in particular are extremely loyal, which is what a puppy named Zeus showed, after he attacked a poisonous snake in Sumter County, Florida, in order to save two young boys from his human family. While Zeus was a hero who saved the boys' lives, he unfortunately lost his own. As they say, not all heroes wear capes.

The Richardson family had only adopted Zeus as a pitbull puppy less than one year ago, bringing him into their family that consists of parents Gary and Gina, and their four young children. Zeus was only eight-months-old when he passed away from the venomous snake bite.

The incident occurred one afternoon in Sumter County, Florida, where the Richardsons live, when two of the young boys from the Richardson household were outside cleaning Zeus' water dish in front of the family home. Unbeknownst to them, a dangerous coral snake was approaching the young boys.

Zeus, who was only a young puppy at eight-months-old, sensed the danger and leapt into action. Father Gary described the moment to Fox 35 News: "All of a sudden, he started attacking the snake, which was close to my son and he was bitten four times."

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The family rushed Zeus to their vet in Ocala, and even thought that he'd be lucky and Zeus would recover. Mom Gina describes this in heartbreaking detail to Fox 35 News, saying: "He's been a member of the family. It just killed us. We just knew the antivenom was going to work."

Tragically, Zeus passed away the very next day. Fiercely loyal to the end, Zeus was not only a hero among dogs, but a positive ambassador for his breed, whose loyalty is well known. Gary spoke about this in the same interview, explaining: "Pitbulls are the most loyal dog I know of, and I've had a lot of different animals in my life." Gina added: "If you find (a pitbull) that's aggressive, most likely, it's because they weren't treated right. If you treat them right, they would give their life for you and I owe my son's life to him."

Gina has posted various photos of Zeus to Facebook to honor him. One is of him among other dogs, while another shows him lying in critical condition surrounded by his human family who loved him so dearly, and who he protected until the end.

This heartbreaking story is testament to the loyalty that pitbulls have, and also shows their loving side. All dogs should be considered man's best friend, especially pitbulls. Rest in peace Zeus.

What did you think of this moving story about Zeus' heroic actions to save his family? Do you have any touching stories about pitbulls? Let us know in the comments and be sure to pass this on to your loved ones.