I am not a Floridian.

With that being said, I feel it necessary to point out that Florida, in my experience, seems to have that Australian thing going for it where there’s plenty of things trying to eat, poison, or just generally kill you.

When one such thing crossed paths with two pit bulls, the dogs made that critter regret it messed with them.

It was a sunny Florida Sunday afternoon that found Melissa Butt chilling outside with her 4-year-old grandson, 1-year-old granddaughter and two pit bulls, Paco and Slayer.

Suddenly, she was caught off-guard by her dogs barking, but not usual barking. This was a sort of stressed, defensive barking.

She rose from her position of the porch, cautiously approaching the direction of the barking to investigate. Both dogs stood directly in front of her grandchildren, staring into a patch of grass a mere three feet from her front door.

Her dogs were acting strangely in a way that was out of character for them. Rather than freak out, Melissa knew her dogs well and she remembered that pit bulls are very loyal and protective dogs.

She ran up to the ecstatic pets and immediately shared their reaction when the focus of their attention registered in her brain. There, lying curled up like a cinnamon bun, sat a large copperhead snake.

This situation became very desperate because copperheads don’t make friendly neighbors at all. They are quite poisonous and could do serious injury to a canine, child, or adult without any discrimination.

Melissa shouted to her daughter who came outside and promptly scooped up the kids, rushing them to safety, or..basically anywhere out of the serpent’s reach. Within seconds of the kids being removed from immediate danger, the snake leaped out and struck Paco on the elbow.

Slayer decided he would not consider that acceptable treatment of his younger brother so he snatched the slithery beast in his jaws. He bit down so hard that he nearly severed the scaley creature in half, killing it in the process.

The down side to Slayer’s heroic response is that he did not get away with it unscathed. The snake managed to get two chomps on his face which swelled to almost twice its normal size in only thirty minutes!

Poor Slayer’s face

Melissa rushed both dogs to the emergency vet for immediate treatment. They were given medication and antivenom in just enough time because Slayer almost didn’t pull through.

He only made it because of generous donations via a local nonprofit known as Frankie’s Friends. These donations allowed him to get the proper treatments he needed.

After that exciting adventure, Melissa is working to make her yard a less inviting habitat for the poison pests to hang out. She said that she and her husband want to make sure their property is safe for their “kids” and grandkids to play in.

This may be the proof a cat-lover needs to prove man’s best friend. Or, maybe not, but there is no arguing that these dogs did their family proudly! In our minds, they are Great Heroes in their own right!

Article via: CBSNEWS.COM