Heroic Pit Bull Dies Saving Kids From Venomous Snake

On September 23, the puppy was outside the family's Florida home in the garden with the kids as they rinsed out his water bowl. Distracted, the youngsters didn't notice that they had attracted the attention of a nearby coral snake.

But Zeus noticed.

A bite from these reptiles can result in paralysis of the entire body, which includes the breathing muscles. Because of this, the primary cause of death from a coral bite is respiratory collapse.

"All of a sudden, he started attacking the snake which was close to my son and he was bit four times,” the kids' father, Gary Richardson, told Fox 35.

He admitted that it was obvious Zeus was suffering from the bites he'd sustained while defending his family: "I knew when he first came in that something was wrong and [it] was very traumatic because I knew he was dying."

And at first, Gary said everyone believed their beloved, heroic pup was going to be O.K.

"We just knew the anti-venom was going to work," he said.

However, just one day later, Zeus tragically passed away.

He grew up with them and developed a close bond with each and every member. They never had a single issue with their sweet pup, pit bull or not.

"Pit bulls are the most loyal dog I know of, and I’ve had a lot of different animals in my life,” Gary said.

“If you find [a pitbull] that’s aggressive, most likely, it’s because they weren’t treated right,” she said. “If you treat them right, they would give their life for you and I owe my son’s life to him.”

Although the family are mourning the devastating loss of Zeus, they said they're just thankful their pup was so loyal and leaped into action when he did.

h/t: Fox 35