A golden retriever puppy is being hailed a hero after coming between his owner and a rattlesnake, and being bit in the process.
Arizona native Paula Goodwin was walking the golden retriever puppy, named Todd, along with her other golden, Copper, this past Friday in Phoenix.
Related: After More Than a Week Missing, a Senior Blind Dog Is Found in the Mountains
“I decided to give my puppies a different walk,” she tells This Dog’s Life.
Taking them on a hiking trail with a paved road, it was when they were returning that danger struck.
Related: Hikers Use Their MacGyver Skills to Rescue Dog Trapped in Pool of Freezing Water
“I was walking on the paved road and did not see a snake by my foot,” says Goodwin, adding that rattlesnakes usually give off the warning “rattle” but did not happen in this case. “Todd was curious and bolted by my leg, and that was when he was hit by the adult rattlesnake.”
Immediately, the puppy started crying and yelping.
“I picked him up, ran down the hill with my other dog Copper and got him to the hospital within about 10 minutes of him being bit,” she says.
Quickly given anti-venom, Todd is now on the mend.
“”He is doing wonderful, he is acting like a normal puppy,” Goodwin says. “He is for sure my hero.”
Related: Boy Survives Mexico’s Wilderness Thanks to a Loyal Dog