Dogs are loyal and protective of those they love, even to a fault.
The amount of loyalty, five-year-old pitbull, Nellie, showed her foster mother, Jane Taylor, is certainly no exception.
The two were out for a hike near Enchanted Rock in Texas when they came upon a rattlesnake. Taylor was unable to contain her fear. She stopped and began screaming. Nellie, sensing Taylor was in danger, leapt into action.
Nellie began to tussle with the snake. She was bitten on the nose in the process. Taylor felt helpless as she was unable to stop the fight.
Her friend, Matthew Tilley, was with the duo and had to think fast. He threw his jacket over the snake and pulled Nellie to safety.
“I kept screaming to try and stop the fight, but then Matthew was smart enough to throw his jacket on the snake and pull Nellie away,” Taylor shared.
After she was bitten, the snake slithered away. Nellie didn’t move and even refused to walk so Taylor and Tilley picked her up and carried her down the mountain.
“When we got her in the car her eyes were closed, her head was tilted back and her mouth was open,” Taylor explained.
Nellie was taken to Pedernales Animal Hospital in Fredericksburg, Texas.
She was given an antivenom shot and antibiotics for the bite.
Rattlesnake bites are not uncommon in that area. In fact, the vet had 24 vials of antivenom vaccine ready for future patients.
The hospital said that it was the first bite of the season but far from the last. They shared that they get one patient every day who has been bitten by a rattlesnake.
It’s very fortunate that Taylor and her friend responded as quickly as they did. As for Nellie, she has a tough past and has proven that she can endure just about anything.
Nellie has been in and out of shelters for years. On Christmas Eve in 2014, she was rescued from a high-kill shelter.
She continued to bounce from kennel to kennel.
She was finally able to find a temporary home with Taylor through the Final Frontier Rescue Project.
But Nellie had already been through a lot and her actions proved it. When Taylor took her in, she noticed how shy and reluctant she was with her and others. She didn’t like to be touched and was very protective of her toys. She was fearful of loud noises and untrusting of unfamiliar people and animals.
“It’s taken her a long time to overcome the emotional scars of past abuse, but she has come such a long way,” Taylor shared.
She certainly has as she risked her wellbeing to fight off a snake for her foster mom!
However, Taylor is moving to Hawaii to take care of her elderly parents. She is currently looking for a welcoming and loving home to take in Nellie.
She explained the unfortunate circumstances saying:
“I love Nellie and we are going to pick the very best home for her. I happen to be a nomad and once my senior dog passes (foster fail) I’ll probably have to head to Hawaii to take care of my elderly parents.”
We sure hope this brave pup finds a home! She deserves it.
You can watch an interview with Taylor about Nellie and the attack below.
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