It was an ordinary evening in Highland Village, Texas. Stacie Rae English’s brother, Shelby, was taking his Labrador pit bull mix, Hurley, on a walk. The duo enjoys walking around 10 PM so that Hurley can be let off his leash and stretch his legs without worrying about other people.
Hearing A Scream
They were walking through a field in the neighborhood when they heard a scream—the unmistakable scream of a child. Hurley raced off after the sound with a fantastic protective instinct while his owner struggled to keep up.
A Copperhead
After racing through the field, the duo eventually found where the cries were coming from. There was a boy, but there was also a copperhead. Hurley didn’t hesitate and went for the snake to protect him.
Saving The Boy
Shelby watched as his dog bit the snake and flung it away from the boy. Before approaching the boy to see if he was alright, he ran to his mother’s car, where they drove off. The urgency with which his mother left the scene might have bitten the child.
Calling Animal Control
Without any other way of contacting the boy, Shelby focused on the present and pulled out his phone to call animal control. English said, “My brother then went on to call animal control, and the Highland Village Cops showed up to check out the scene. They asked to take a look at Hurley to see if he had been bitten.”
Didn’t Make It Out Unscathed
Animal Control found the snake that Hurley had snatched away from the boy. Hurley had killed it, but he hadn’t walked away without marks of his own.
Hurley Had Been Bitten
Unfortunately, once they had checked Hurley, they noticed that he was, in fact, bitten: “To my brother’s surprise, he was bleeding, had a swollen neck and foaming from his mouth. Sure enough, they found two puncture wounds in his upper lip.”
Rushing Him To A Veterinary Hospital
Hurley’s condition would only worsen as the minutes ticked by, and Shelby knew that. He rushed Hurley to Denton Animal Emergency Hospital, where he had to stay the night to check his blood clot level throughout the night. Thankfully, Hurley wouldn’t have to be alone, and Shelby insisted on spending the night with him.
In the morning, Hurley was allowed to leave, and although he was still looking a bit worse for wear, he’d be okay. His swollen neck was the only thing bothering him.
A Nest Of Copperheads
After the incident, a little more light was shed on the situation. A nest of copperheads was found in the field where the boy had been found. Copperheads aren’t typically aggressive, but if the boy stumbled across their nest, it would explain why the snake was aggravated.
A Hero
Hurley’s heroic actions may very well have saved the boy. No information about the boy has been found, but if the dog hadn’t stepped in, the child could have been bitten or bitten more than once. That’s one way to beat the stereotypes of pit bulls!
Source:
Pitbull runs at ‘screaming’ kid to save it from deadly snake in unlikely rescue.
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