A golden retriever from Florida has won the National Hero Dog award for attacking a poisonous coral snake that was lurking near his owners.
Seven-year-old Brutis, who lives on a 10-acre ranch in Hudson, Fla., arrived in Santa Monica Wednesday with his owner Fran Oreto to accept the honor.
"What an honor to bestow on my poor dog," Oreto said from her hotel room.
The 22nd annual National Hero Dog award does not honor trained rescue dogs but "your basic family pet that unbeknownst to you has the ability to save your life," said Madeline Bernstein, president of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles.
Oreto said she was picnicking with her grandchildren in September when Brutis snatched a 6-inch-long snake that was just five feet from them. Brutis suffered a bite and was taken to an animal emergency hospital, where he received antivenin more than three hours after the attack.
"It's quite an amazing feat that he survived at all," Oreto said. "He was a strong enough dog to pull through."
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/05/05/state2059EDT0192.DTL
Seven-year-old Brutis, who lives on a 10-acre ranch in Hudson, Fla., arrived in Santa Monica Wednesday with his owner Fran Oreto to accept the honor.
"What an honor to bestow on my poor dog," Oreto said from her hotel room.
The 22nd annual National Hero Dog award does not honor trained rescue dogs but "your basic family pet that unbeknownst to you has the ability to save your life," said Madeline Bernstein, president of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles.
Oreto said she was picnicking with her grandchildren in September when Brutis snatched a 6-inch-long snake that was just five feet from them. Brutis suffered a bite and was taken to an animal emergency hospital, where he received antivenin more than three hours after the attack.
"It's quite an amazing feat that he survived at all," Oreto said. "He was a strong enough dog to pull through."
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/05/05/state2059EDT0192.DTL