After pouncing to the rescue while defending his owner from a rattlesnake, a hero labrador has saved his teen owner's life. At his family's house in San Diego, California, Alex Loredo brought in the laundry when he heard rattling from beneath the table outdoors.

When he noticed a rattlesnake waiting, the 18-year-"heart old's just plummeted." That is, until his hero Marley, a seven-year-old labrador dog, came to his rescue and leaped at the snake.

Hero Dog Saves the Day

NBC San Diego quoted Alex as saying: "Marley had dashed out the door, shoved me out of the way, and gotten in the way of the snake before I could even turn. "My heart had just stopped beating. 'Oh my, I'm going to lose my closest buddy,' I thought first."

The snake sank its teeth into Marley twice, "one on his tongue and the other on his neck," before leaving after biting the dog. Alex sought medical assistance right away. He stated, " "It was a full meltdown.

"My heart was pounding, and I was unsure what would happen next." To tell you the truth, I feared he was going to die in the automobile."

After the incident, Alex has set up a GoFundMe account, which has raised almost $12,000 to help pay for medical costs after he claimed that he had exhausted his resources.

Alex also reported that the local veterinarian was out of anti-venom vaccination, forcing him to drive 25 minutes to the nearest pet hospital.

"Marley's face began to swell up, and he began to have breathing difficulties," Alex said on the fundraising website. Blood began to flow from his mouth as well.

"I was terrified and tried to retain my calm and think quickly because time was against us." I checked him in ahead of time by calling, and the technician was waiting for my closest buddy.

"Not knowing if your closest buddy was going to make it through was the most terrifying moment of my life."

Related Article: [VIRAL] Labrador Barks Non-Stop to Police, Only to See Her Blind Owner Almost Dead in Ice

Recieving Medical Care

Marley
(Photo : Marley the Hero from GoFundMe)

Marley was admitted to the hospital for two nights and is already back to his old self. But, unfortunately, Alex's "best friend" suffers nerve damage in his mouth and jaw and is now receiving treatment as well as medicines.

Alex was given Marley when he was younger to help him lose weight, and now the 18-year-old is asking for money to repay his hero.

Defensive Instinct

Dog
(Photo : Garfield Besa)

Dogs perceive their owners to be members of their pack and, as a result, feel compelled to defend them in the event of a threat. They are also instinctively protective of what they regard as belonging to them, such as their home or shelter, as well as resources such as food, toys, and dog beds.

As reassuring as it is to have a four-legged companion with you at all times, we must remember that the border between dog protection and dog aggressiveness is razor-thin. A protective dog will become attentive to new persons or strange settings, but he will stay calm and in control. Only when he feels attacked or detects their owner's fear does he go into protective mode.

Also Read: Heroic Pet: Dog Stops Traffic to Save Owner Having Fatal Seizure

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