Dog kills snake which bit owner

[TJ&ACP]

Don’t know who read this on NEWS 24, thought I’ll share

Dog kills snake which bit owner
2012-01-21 17:02

Kimberley - A 14-year-old Jack Russell terrier killed a puff adder as it got one of its fangs stuck in his owner's toe, the snake bite victim has recounted.

Joy Weston, 68, from the farm DeVilliershoop in the Jakkalsdal district in the Northern Cape, was walking through her yard to greet Eskom workers as they arrived just after 16:00 on Thursday when she accidentally stepped on the deadly snake.

"I couldn't get the snake to release its bite," she said. "Monty grabbed and killed it."

Weston was wearing slip-on sandals. One of the snake's fangs sunk into her toe and the other into her shoe. The puff adder was a baby, she said and was about 40cm long.

Her husband, Neville Weston, a urologist from Kimberley, had just arrived home and immediately rushed his wife 48km back to the town where she was administered anti-venom.

She was discharged from hospital on Saturday and said she felt much better, despite still being in shock. Her toe was saved.

The snake has been preserved in formalin to show the couple's seven grandchildren.

Meanwhile, Monty was being hailed as a local hero.

[Rodwraylva]

I think at that point it is a case of protecting what/who you love, so justifies the means. What agrivates me is people killing snakes without good motives, and then not wanting to learn to save the innocent snakes. I believe all snakes are innocent, but if a hghly venomous snake is infront of you and becomes a threat, the only way to deal with it is killing it if it cannot be removed safely. Glad the woman is alright, and I also see the dog is a hero, because out of stress people do stupid things and the woman might have been bitten again and then it could have become a problem, animals cannot reason, they go on instinct and protection is instinctive.

[Fangfan]

I agree with Rodwraylva.
The animal could have been anything, and the response would have been the same from the dog.
It saw a threat, and instinctively acted to protects it's owner.

[_THEO_]

Or it just killed the snake like all dogs do.

[kinghero]

Or it just killed the snake like all dogs do.

Jip but I don’t think a dog gets up in the morning and decides, mmm lets go hunting snakes today? A dog, cat will kill or try to kill a snake cause it sees it a danger, remember they can’t pick up a book and say oh wait this one can’t do anyone harm let it be. They act on instinct. Jack Russell’s are fearless little doggies and she is lucky to have one that would protect her had it been a more skittish breed of dog, it might have ended in another way. It’s the same with the pit bulls they are one of the few if not only dogs that will attack a rabies infected animal to protect its owner.

I think in the situation, this dog is a hero, it’s a pity the snake had to die, had this happened to anyone of you, it would have been different cause you would have seen the snake and would know how to react to it. And the snake and dog would have been both still alive.

Either way nice story thanks for posting

[yoson10]

Or it just killed the snake like all dogs do.

Jip but I don’t think a dog gets up in the morning and decides, mmm lets go hunting snakes today? A dog, cat will kill or try to kill a snake cause it sees it a danger, remember they can’t pick up a book and say oh wait this one can’t do anyone harm let it be. They act on instinct. Jack Russell’s are fearless little doggies and she is lucky to have one that would protect her had it been a more skittish breed of dog, it might have ended in another way. It’s the same with the pit bulls they are one of the few if not only dogs that will attack a rabies infected animal to protect its owner.

I think in the situation, this dog is a hero, it’s a pity the snake had to die, had this happened to anyone of you, it would have been different cause you would have seen the snake and would know how to react to it. And the snake and dog would have been both still alive.

Either way nice story thanks for posting

I don't know about dogs( through for high prey driven dogs I would think it would be the same) but a cat attacking a snake is 99% of the time(atleast in my experience) a predatory attack by the cat...ie not a "the cat sees it as a danger to the family etc"...More like the cat sees it as a meal or it peaks the cats curiosity and the cat just wants to kill it...I like cats as pets and have had them all my life but I have absolutely no doubt that if my cat could eat me...it would with no regrets...They are just that predatory.

[kinghero]

I Dont know much about Cats but i really think its more the case that you are here and i cant back down kind of thing and then there would be the one that finds it strange and just wana see how it ticks.

[_THEO_]

In that case I'm very proud of my staffie. She's protected me from almost everything, cats, francolines, monitors,monkeys, butterflies and some skinks but not a snake yet! haha (you might get what I ment with my previous reply)

[kinghero]

Hahahah I get what you are saying and you have a very active little staffie that is intrigued by much it would seem, there demeanor does change thou when it’s a real danger, I know when it’s a danger cause my pit starts humming like a well-tuned V8.

I Guess all dogs have their own personality

[GOM]

Lost my staffie a while back to a snake bite. Was protecting my nephew on a farm. Sad but still, the boy was OK. Tried to save the dog, unfortunately did not succeed!!!

[kinghero]

Its sad thet your Dog died. glad the boy made it.

[GOM]

Thanks @Kinghero!