Family Is Startled When Dog Lunges At 7-Year-Old Until They Find Out He Surrendered Himself

Jan 16, 2021

Described as a lovable friend, the DeLuca family dog stood his ground between a deadly snake and two vulnerable family members, as told in this 2016 story out of Tampa, Fla. Were it not for his protective intervention, Molly DeLuca, who was just 7 years old, and her 75-year-old grandmother would have likely been the victims instead.

He was a 2-year-old German shepherd who was adopted from a local animal shelter to fill the void left in their life when their previous dog passed on. They named him Haus. Initially, Donya DeLuca's husband was skeptical, but he was soon won over, TODAY reported.

Haus was already adored by the family before he placed himself in harm's way between Molly DeLuca and a snake. Initially, no one was sure what was going on. The child was startled to see the dog lunge in front of her.

But it soon became apparent that some kind of battle had just occurred. The dog yelped and clearly sustained injuries as he started bleeding. The family then rushed their beloved dog to BluePearl Veterinary Partners.

According to Donya DeLuca, who is Molly DeLuca's mom, Molly DeLuca's grandmother had seen Haus acting strangely. “She saw him jump back, go forward, and jump back and go forward and he was just kind of holding his ground,” Donya DeLuca told FOX 13 News. “Next thing we know, there was blood. He was limping and crying.”

Haus was found to have at least three snake bites. The best information on hand suggested the snake was a rattlesnake, possibly the very poisonous Eastern Diamondback, one of the most dangerous species in the U.S.

Antivenom is quite expensive and usually used very sparingly. A normal dose is one or two vials. But Haus was put on a drip-feed and monitored around the clock because they had no idea how much venom he had in his system. Things were very touch-and-go at first.

Everyone was convinced that Haus had made the ultimate sacrifice, trading his life for the lives of Molly DeLuca and her grandmother. They did not think he would survive.

“I did not know if they would be able to help him,” Donya DeLuca confessed. “I could not sleep last night, I barely slept. Because it is bittersweet. I am doing everything that I can, I feel like I owe it to him … to keep trying to save him.”

But the unorthodox treatment was ultimately successful. After a week, Haus got to go back home.

“He made a choice and he was standing up and I know, just based on his temperament, he was standing up for my daughter,” Donya DeLuca added. “He was standing in between (Molly and the snake). He did not budge. He just kept taking hits while she was on the other side of it. ”

It is a good thing dad's skepticism did not win the day. This entire incident could have gone down very differently for the family, and not in a good way.

“I feel really grateful for the dog,” Donya DeLuca said. “It is frightening to think that it could have been my daughter because I do not know if she would have made it.”

This is a good reminder to mow your lawn and try to limit hiding places in the backyard. In warm weather, even backyards are not always safe, especially in certain parts of the U.S. that are known to have snakes and other dangerous animals.

Protect Your House From Snakes

According to The Humane Society of the United States, there are steps that people can take to inspect and snake-proof their properties. Snake-proofing your house is a good way to avoid finding one in your home, especially if you don’t like snakes. It might be especially important to snake-proof your home if it is located on the ground level. The animals are able to slither through cracks as small as three-eighths of an inch or holes or any sort of opening found at the home.

Firstly, make sure you do a thorough inspection of the foundation of your house. Check for any unsealed wire or pipe conduits. Also check that all the windows and doors, including in the basement, are able to be sealed properly.

Since snakes are talented climbers, you should also check for any openings around the eaves and roof of your house, especially if you have trees and shrubbery surrounding your house.

Once you have checked the whole exterior of the house, seal all the potential entryways for snakes. You can also install a one-way door at one opening you feel that would be a main entrance for snakes.

How To Safely Get Rid Of Snakes In Your Home

The Humane Society of the United States has also provided tips on removing snakes from your house:

• If a snake is found in your house, try to take action as quickly as you can to avoid any injury or danger. Stay calm and avoid provoking the snake. Call professional animal handlers.

• You can open the nearest door and use a broom or a pole to gently sweep the snake outside.

• Besides herding the snake, you can try carefully placing an empty bucket or basket over it, and then put weight on top to trap it until professional animal handlers arrive.

• If it’s not possible to put a bucket or basket over the snake, then try to confine the area with barriers so that it will be easy for experts to capture when they arrive.

• If you know there is a snake in your house but are unable to locate it, you can try placing a heating pad or even any sort of cloth on the floor to attract it since snakes like warmth. Doing this will make it easier for the snake to be trapped and handled afterward.

• If you do not fear snakes and you are certain the one in your home is not venomous, you can consider picking it up and carefully relocating it outside. Be sure to wear gloves while doing this.

What do you think of this story? Let us know in the comments section. It is a feel-good story that also serves as an important safety reminder — be sure your friends get the memo today by passing this along to them! If you have other tips for how to remove unwanted snakes in your home, please let people know about them!