Pitbulls often carry a stigma of being an aggressive, violent dog that are not safe to have as pets, especially around children. But one pitbull named Zeus of the Richardson family in Florida has proved this to be an ideal that is completely false.
10-year-old Oriley Richardson was playing on the back lawn with the family’s pet dogs when 8-month-old pitbull Zeus lunged at something near the boy and started swinging his head back and forth. Oriley thought Zeus had hold of a toy and was playing. “I thought it was a rope. He had it in his mouth and he was shaking it around,” he said later.
It was then that Oriley’s 11-year-old brother Orion noticed that something didn’t seem right and Zeus had a strange look on his face. The pitbull had actually gotten hold of a highly venomous coral snake and was keeping it away from Oriley. The brave dog rolled over the snake, lying on top of it to keep it from harming the nearby boys before eventually killing it. “Zeus just started to roll over and as he rolled over I could see that the snake was dead,” mom Georgina said.
In the process, however, Zeus had received four bites around his legs, neck, and mouth. As one of most deadly snakes in North America, the family realized that the dog was in grave danger. They got Zeus in the back of the car and rushed him to the nearest animal hospital.
En route, Georgina dialled 911. “I have the dog in my car. I’m trying to find what the nearest animal hospital is. He’s panting really bad.” When they located an animal hospital in nearby Ocala, the anti-venom was given to the 8-month-old pup, but not quite in time. Just 12 hours later, Zeus passed away, leaving the family distraught.
On top of the grief of losing a member of the family, the family was then faced with vet treatment totalling $1000, for which they needed to turn to a fundraising page to cover the costs. They shared the pup’s heroic tale far and wide, with photos and videos of Zeus when they first got him as a puppy, hoping to change the false image pitbulls often have. “Pit bulls are the most loyal dog I know of, and I’ve had a lot of different animals in my life,” said dad Gary Richardson.
Both Gary and Georgina felt touched by the support they received from friends, family, and strangers, and added that they hoped this story would be spread to show just how amazing pitbulls can be as pets. “Had it not been for him, my son might not be here right now,” Georgina Richardson told Inside News.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
