It’s no secret that pit bulls have an incredibly negative and unfair reputation of being an aggressive breed. But this really isn’t the case at all.
According to National Geographic , these pups are seriously misunderstood. We’re used to hearing stories of hostile pit bulls. But more than 80 percent of those “aggressive” dogs are the result poor breeding and mistreatment.
So angry pitties aren’t the norm at all. And if nothing else, this story certainly proves that they have more love to give than hate.
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The Richardson family has hailed their eight-month-old pit bull, Zeus, a hero after he died saving the family’s two youngest children.
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.
Though small in size, coral snakes are incredibly dangerous and have the second-strongest venom of any snake.
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.
After Zeus spotted the approaching danger, he flew into action to protect the kids.
“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.”
The family rushed Zeus to a local vet where he was treated with anti-venom.
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.
Zeus had been a part of the Richardson family’s lives since he was born in January.
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.
His wife, Gina, echoed this sentiment and emphasized that pit bulls are an immensely misunderstood breed.
“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
