Dogs are not only man’s best friend, but they can also be their hero and protector.

They normally display their protective side in specific scenarios, like home intruders, or most definitely when someone tries to assault their owner…any someone.

And the latter just happened to this dog and his dad.

It was just an ordinary day when a dog named Chief was happily playing tug-of-war in the backyard with his dad. Suddenly, though, Chief jumped right at his human’s feet.

He was growling aggressively and it looked like he was fighting something. Everything happened in a blink of an eye and Dad fell down. He was clueless about what was going on.

Then, he saw Chief trying to shake off something from his mouth which he thought was the rope.

To his surprise, it was a rattlesnake!

According to Live Science:

“Rattlesnakes are large, venomous snakes that are found throughout North and South America. The greatest concentration of them is in the Southwestern United States and in Northern Mexico. Arizona is home to 13 species of rattler, more than any other state. The most distinctive feature that these species share is the rattle.”

It was clear that Chief saved his dad and was now a hero dog.

The venomous rattlesnake hid in the grass to camouflage itself. It was lurking quietly and came close to Chief and his dad.

Gladly, the animal instinct of the dog was present and it saved his human’s life. Chief was there to stop the snake right off the bat before it could even attack them.

Sadly, the hero dog was bitten on his nose and it started swelling up.

As the clock ticked away, the effect of the snake’s venom started to kick in and poor Chief didn’t want to be touched.

Chief’s dad didn’t waste another minute and carried him to the car, despite the situation. They immediately rushed to the vet to seek medical help.

Fortunately, the vet that they went to had an anti-venom.

“Thankfully, the ER Vet had anti-venom/antivenin on hand. I’m not sure he would have made it without it. It ran $780 for one vial so I’m grateful he didn’t need a second dose,” he said.

According to Chief’s dad, the snake had taken a bite out of his dog more than once.

“The ER found more snake bites on him but they think they were dry bites – where the snake didn’t inject venom when it struck. He was even more lucky because the snake struck the bony part of his muzzle which meant the fangs glanced off instead of really sinking in.”

Thanks to his dad and the vet, Chief is expected to make a full recovery.

It’s vital to rush the dog to a veterinarian within one hour after getting bitten by a snake.

The sooner that they get an anti-venom shot, the better. The venom will not be able to spread completely and will not be able to attack the dog’s vital organs.

It is also highly recommended to get your dog a vaccine against snake venom if you live in an area where there are lots of rattlesnakes. Prevention is always better than cure.

Chief’s hero story is a wake-up call to all dog owners, especially those who live close to the wild.

It raises awareness and will surely save lives from this point onward.

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Source: I Love My Dog So Much, Live Science