As if we needed more evidence of how incredible dogs can be… Two months ago, the DeLuca family adopted 2-year-old German shepherd Haus. He brought them all joy and quickly became a beloved member of the family, but no one suspected that his presence would save the life of 7-year-old Molly. Molly and Haus were playing together in the garden when the little girl’s grandmother saw Haus jumping around frantically in the bushes. When the grandmother went to find out what was going on, she didn’t see anything unusual at first. But then, she realized what had happened. A snake had tried to attack Molly, but Haus had put himself between them and got bit. And the snake that bit Haus wasn’t just any snake—it was an eastern diamondback rattlesnake, the most poisonous of all snakes in North America.
Two months ago, the DeLuca family decided to get a new dog after their last dog passed away. They chose to adopt 2-year-old German shepherd Haus from an shelter, and he proved to be a loving, loyal dog with a fondness for children.
Above all, the family’s daughter, 7-year-old Molly, developed strong ties with Haus. They became best friends and hung out with each other almost all the time.
And it soon became apparent that Haus was prepared to do everything to protect his loved ones. When Molly and Haus were out playing in the garden, a diamondback rattlesnake was lurking in the grass. The snake, which certainly didn’t want to harm the two, however, felt threatened and behaved aggressively toward Molly.
Molly’s grandmother was in the house when she saw Haus jumping around like a maniac and snapping his teeth by the bushes. She went out to see what was going on and got a shock when she sensed what was about to happen.
Terrified, the grandmother saw Haus standing between Molly and the snake to defend the girl. His heroic effort saved Molly, but Haus was bitten three times in the leg by the poisonous snake.
Haus was quickly brought to an animal hospital, where he received several doses of antidote. After being treated in intensive care and receiving love from his family, Haus began to recover, but he still had poison in his blood.
As the antidote and treatment were very expensive, the family feared that they’d have to put Haus to sleep. The veterinary bills were estimated at around $9,000, an amount the family could ill afford.
But after starting a GoFundMe page, everything changed. The family quickly received approximately $52,000—more than enough to cover all the costs!
“We are completely taken by all the support we have received in just a few days. Absolutely incredible!” the family wrote, while also announcing that all extra donations will be given to an organization that works to place abandoned dogs in safe homes.
And yesterday, they had more good news to report on Haus’ Facebook page—the hero was finally well enough to go home!
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