Paula Godwin of Anthem, Arizona, and her two dogs were hiking on a Phoenix-area trail when they disturb a sleeping rattlesnake. As the snake was ready to bite Paula, her 6-month old Golden Retriever, Todd, jumped out in front of her foot to take the bite intended for her. Before she knew it, Todd had been bitten by the venomous snake on his nose and cheek.
Godwin rushed Todd to the local animal hospital in Anthem where the canine received some anti-venom. 12 hours and $1,500 later, Todd was released from the hospital. Within 2 days, Todd was back to normal. “He’s just acting like nothing happened,” Paula said. She also called her puppy “a hero” for his selfless act.
Godwin also said that she broke quite a few traffic rules getting her puppy to the vets. “I broke a lot of traffic laws for sure to get him there,” she said. Don’t worry, Paula, I’m sure the rest of us dog owners would do the same thing!