I came across yet another fearless, wonderful dog story -- and wasn't even looking for it! So, without further ado, here it is:
From The New York Daily News
Fearless dog saves woman from deadly cottonmouth snake – and almost dies from venomous bites
Gudrun Mastriano of Kissimmee, Fla., was walking her daughter’s black lab Dante when the deadly snake lunged and the dog grabbed it in its jaws and suffered near deadly bites, taking months to recover.
By Michael Walsh / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Friday, November 30, 2012, 6:49 PM
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| Dante the Dog. Wonder Dog! |
Gudrun Mastriano of Kissimmee, Fla., was walking her daughter’s black lab Dante home when a venomous cottonmouth snake, mere inches away, attacked her.
The protective canine lunged in front of Mastriano, captured the serpent in his mouth and dragged it away. But during the fight, the snake’s fangs sunk into Dante’s snout and legs.
"It could have been me," said Mastriano. "I would have died."
Dante’s snout swelled up to about 17 inches as the deadly venom settled in his body, according to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
"I thought he looked like a little baby hippopotamus," said Mastriano.
Mastriano immediately brought the lethargic and injured dog to an emergency animal clinic, where he was stabilized and treated with antivenin before being transferred to another medical center for rehabilitation.
For the past two months, Dante has received oxygen therapy. Veterinarians delivered concentrated oxygen to Dante’s damaged cells seven times to reduce swelling and speed healing, reported the Orlando Sentinel.
Dante, rejuvenated, was ready to be reunited with his owner, Mastriano’s daughter Charlotte Eierle.
Eierle moved to Madrid, where her husband is stationed with the Navy, in September. Eierle only planned to leave Dante behind for a few weeks while she and her husband got situated, but the snake attack delayed his trip abroad.
"We're just happy to see him healthy and going home for the holidays," said one of the veterinarians who bid Dante farewell at the airport.
For his flight to Spain, Dante was placed in a pet carrier that bore a notification for careful handling, along with a fitting description: “Traveling Hero.”
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Damn -- so this brave, wonderful doggy, is travelling to Spain in the baggage compartment of a commercial airline? Hope he makes it. What fricking torture for an animal to travel this way! Dante should be in first class, with a private "turf" area behind a curtain where he can relieve himself, being served steak tartar!
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