A pit bull puppy has died after being bitten multiple times by a snake whilst he was protecting his owner's kids from it.
Zeus, an eight-month-old pit bull terrier put himself into harms way to stop the two young boys, Oriley and Orion, as they were cleaning his water bowl in the yard of their house in Sumter County, Florida.
The dog sprang into action and ripped the head off the snake but sustained severe injuries. He was rushed to the veterinary hospital but died the following day.
The Richardson family have since described Zeus as 'the most loyal dog' and said that their sons owe their lives to the brave pup.
The incident took place at about 6:15pm last Monday as the two young boys cleaned out Zeus' dog bowl in their garden. The kids hadn't even spotted the venomous snake near them and had no idea of the immediate danger that they were in.
Dad Gary Richardson told local TV channel Fox 35 Orlando: "I knew when he first came in that something was wrong and (it) was very traumatic because I knew he was dying.
"All of a sudden, he started attacking the snake which was close to my son and he was bit four times."
The family then rushed Zeus to a nearby vet where he was administered two vials of antivenom. While things looked positive for a while, he died the next day.
Mum Gina said: "He's been a member of the family.
"It just killed us. We just knew the antivenom was going to work."
Zeus has been a member of the family since January, and the family are - understandably - devastated by the loss of their beloved family pet.
Gary continued: "Pit bulls are the most loyal dog I know of, and I've had a lot of different animals in my life."
However, whilst their grief and loss hurts bitterly, they are also thankful for the quick actions of the dog that could have saved their children's lives.
Now, the family also want to use Zeus as an example against the criticism that is sometimes levelled at pit bulls.
They want Zeus to become 'an ambassador for the pit bull breed' to stop the 'bad publicity' they receive.
Gina added: "If you find (a pit bull) that's aggressive, most likely, it's because they weren't treated right,
"If you treat them right, they would give their life for you and I owe my son's life to him."
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They've also set up a GoFundMe page to pay for their veterinary bills, in case you're feeling generous.
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