ANTHEM, Ariz. (WHDH) — A puppy is on the mend after jumping in front of a rattlesnake to protect his owner in Arizona Friday.
The 6-month-old golden retriever named Todd took a bite in the face from the snake, saving his owner, Paula Goodwin, from the attack.
“That snake would have bit my leg for sure and he is absolutely my hero,” Godwin told 7News.
Todd noticed the rattlesnake coming towards them before Goodwin did.
“I literally walked right by him and Todd kind of jolted toward my foot to see what the heck was by my leg,” Godwin recalled. “Then, that’s when he struck Todd and then he started to rattle.”
The bite to the nose and cheek caused Todd’s face to swell.
Godwin rushed him to an animal hospital, where he was immediately given anti-venom.
Todd is now recovering after the dangerous snake attack.
“He’s on the mend, I mean he is great,” Godwin said. “He had a lot of swelling but it really subsided.”
She added that if it was her choice, “I would have much rather been bitten by the snake.”
A GoFundMe has been created on behalf of Todd to help other dogs and owners with anti-venom payments.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)