A very grateful Florida woman is calling her two faithful pit bulls “protectors” after they selflessly guarded her two young grandchildren from an ominous threat that was lurking in the grass. The toddlers wouldn’t have survived if not for the family’s canines, which are also lucky to have survived the shocking encounter.
It was a Sunday afternoon on Aug. 13, 2017, when Melissa Butt’s grandkids, Zayden, 4, and Mallory, 1, were playing in the backyard of their home in Brandon, Florida.
Unbeknownst to the grandma, something was lurking in a patch of grass just inches away from Zayden and Mallory.
Fortunately, their faithful dogs, Slayer and Paco, were there to protect the kids in danger. The two pit bulls spotted the threat and began barking furiously.
When Butt saw that the dogs were barking at a copperhead snake in the grass, she rushed the kids inside.
The children were kept away from danger; however, both Slayer and Paco were bitten by the venomous snake.
Both dogs were rushed to the Blue Pearl Veterinary Hospital, where they were treated immediately with anti-venom.
Paco was struck in the leg. Sustaining relatively minor injuries, Paco went home after spending one night in the hospital. Meanwhile, Slayer was in bad shape, sustaining deep wounds on his face and snout.
Luckily, this story has a happy ending. Slayer gradually recovered and returned home shortly afterwards.
When Slayer got home, Zayden told grandma: “Slayer protects me. Slayer protects us.”
She was beyond grateful that her dogs saved her kids’ lives. “There’s nothing I can say or do to show how grateful I am,” Butt said.
“They are my boys, my protectors,” she added.
