Of course the dog just KNEW that this was a coral

[Darin Chappell]

and not one of the several mimic species found in Florida, and THAT is why he was a hero! He attacked a "poisonous" (sic) snake, and not a harmless scarlet kingsnake, which, presumably, he would have allowed to slither away in peace!

How stupid is this ???

One wonders how heroic this dog would have been deemed had he attacked a rabid, feral cat that got within a 5 foot radius of this family. Especially since such an animal would have likely posed a much greater threat than a small coral looking for a way out of there!

goofy anthropomorphism stories

 

[Darin Chappell]

Here is the text of the link above:



Florida Dog Wins Hero Award for Fighting Poisonous Snake
POSTED: 1:18 AM EDT May 6, 2004


LOS ANGELES -- 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 six-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."

He was treated in the intensive care unit for nearly a week, costing Oreto about $5,000 in medical expenses. Brutis now walks with a limp in his rear leg, she said, possibly due to the snake venom which degenerated his neurological system.

For his heroic act, Brutis was treated to his first airplane flight to Los Angeles. He got to sit in the plane with his owner instead of being stowed in cargo, and was staying at beachside hotel.

During the ceremony on Thursday, he'll receive a plaque, a year's supply of dog food and a bag full of treats.

The SPCA will also give a posthumous award to a dog named Shilo, who followed her companion, 11-year-old Sarah Irmen of Littlerock, Calif., when a kidnapper forced her into a car in June. When the kidnapper tried to get Sarah out of the car, Shilo bit him and the girl escaped.

Berstein said Shilo later died in an accident, but she didn't know how the dog died. Shilo's owners will receive a plaque and four tickets to a baseball game, she said.

"The award is a credit to their owners," Bernstein said. "Any dog placed in a loving home can be a hero."

The winners were selected from dozens of essays from pet owners nationwide describing their pet's heroic acts. SPCA Los Angeles also constantly searches for news reports of heroic pet acts, Bernstein said.

 

[Copperheadman]

Ya know..with all the K-9's in this country that do so much good..this really seems like a giant waste.We have dogs that sniff out drugs,helping to keep them off the street.Dogs that help Search and Rescue organizations look for lost children in some of the worst conditions.Dogs that will go into burnt houses and help look for accelerants used in arson,helping to convict those responsible for the crime.Dogs that find dead bodies underground and underwater,helping the families with closure,and the police with evidence.This dog killed a snake..woopdeefreakingdoo..I used to have a couple of beagles that would do that...like Darrin said..stupid anthropomorphism..

 

[jenn_jeffery]

I heard something on the radio the other day. A Labrador Retreiver had been hiking with his family, and got in between the kid and a rattlesnake--and took a bite for the kid. I'm guessing (knowing my own dogs) that the dog heard something in the bushes/leaves on the side of the trail and went to investigate and was nailed for being nosy. The chances are if they'd had the dog leashed all would have passed and been none the wiser that a rattler was nearby. At least the dog survived....

 

[Nefarion]

"He was treated in the intensive care unit for nearly a week, costing Oreto about $5,000 in medical expenses. Brutis now walks with a limp in his rear leg, she said, possibly due to the snake venom which degenerated his neurological system."

You think that was caused by a Kingsnake? Not likely. . . the difference between a kingsnake and a coral is fairly obvious. And obviously the dog would not have been symptomatic had it not been a coral.

Nevertheless, I still think all the attention is stupid. Your dog killed a coral and gets a reward? I cannot find any logic whatsoever in that.

 

[Sybella]

My childhood dog, a black lab, put himself between us and a rattler on the way back to the car from the lake...he started growling and turned sideways so we couldn't go past him in the narrow path. We didn't know what his trip was until we finally saw the snake. He just knew that it was dangerous...I don't know how. So, while I agree that this seems a little over the top, I've seen an untrained dog do the very same thing. Dogs are wonderful animals.