These pit bulls saved their young human family members from venomous snakes.
Slayer and Paco prove that there is no reason for pit bulls to have a bad reputation. They recently went above and beyond to save the lives of their smallest family members, Zayden and Mallory, who are 4 and 1½, respectively.
Melissa Butt is the proud owner of both Slayer and Paco, both of who already had a reputation of looking out for the other members of their family before this incident.
In fact, according to TODAY, she regularly tells her grandchildren, Zayden and Mallory, that they don’t have to worry about bad things happening with these pooches nearby. The pit bulls proved that Butt doesn’t exaggerate on Aug. 13.
On that fateful day, Zayden, Mallory, Slayer, and Paco were all playing in the yard at the family’s house in Southwest Florida.
Butt, her daughter Cynthia, and Cynthia’s husband, Daniel White, noticed the dogs barking at an object the humans couldn’t see hidden in the grass. Melissa Butt tried to get them to “disengage on command,” but they wouldn’t obey.
The adults took this as a sign that something was wrong. Cynthia and Daniel brought the young ones inside and then checked on the dogs.
That’s when the adults noticed a snake in the grass close to where the children had been playing.
The dogs wouldn’t move; keeping a careful watch over the snake so it couldn’t harm anyone. Cynthia saw the snake lash out and bite each of the dogs. Slayer was bitten on the snout, while Paco was bitten on the elbow.
This was the final straw for Slayer, who according to Butt:
“Grabbed the snake in his mouth and killed it.”
Just as any other pet parents would do, Butt quickly rushed her dogs to their vet while her grandkids were safe with their parents. As she drove, Slayer’s face started to swell up and he developed labored breathing.
The dogs’ regular vet suggested they take the 40-minute drive to the BluePearl emergency veterinarian in Brandon, Florida.
This drive was incredibly stressful for Butt, who was concerned throughout the entire drive. According to TODAY, it took everything in her power not to speed on the trip to the emergency vet, but she managed to do so; she didn’t want to get in an accident.
Butt had adopted these dogs as young puppies and couldn’t stand the idea of them dying. Luckily, the vets acted quickly and were able to save the lives of the pooches.
She told TODAY:
“There’s nothing I can say or do to show how grateful I am. How do you thank someone for saving your loved ones?”
Paco only spent a single night in the hospital, but Slayer had a tougher time.
The day after the snakebite, Paco was ready to go home, but Slayer “could barely get his tongue out” and give Butt a kiss. He got an extra dose of antivenom along with more care and was able to go home within a few days.
In an interview with WFLA, the emotional Melissa Butt told a reporter:
“That absolutely would have been one of my grandchildren. Whether it be yesterday or today or tomorrow.”
After the incident, the venomous snake in question was identified as a copperhead, although later experts said they were unsure what type of snake it was.
The emergency treatment for Slayer and Paco didn’t come without a financial cost. Luckily, Frankie’s Friends was there to help. This nonprofit works to cover some of the extraordinary medical costs pets face. You can donate money specifically to help cover Slayer and Paco’s medical bills to show your thanks for the canines’ heroics.
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