FL Family Hails Pit Bull As Hero After Dies Protecting Child From Venomous Coral Snake

SUMTER COUNTY, FL. (THECOUNT) — The Richardson family of Sumter County, Florida, are mourning the death of their pit bull Zeus, who died after bit by a venomous coral snake while in the backyard area of their home early this week.

The family says the eight-month-old pit bull sustained fatal injuries after suffering at least 4 bites by the deadly snake while in Sumter County, according to reports.

“I knew when he first came in that something was wrong and (it) was very traumatic because I knew he was dying,” Gary Richardson told the station.

The snake attack occurred while the kids were outside cleaning the dog’s water dish.

“All of a sudden, he started attacking the snake which was close to my son and he was bit four times,” Gary recounted.

The family rushed Zeus to the vet in hopes that they could treat him in time. He passed away the following day.

Now the Richardsons are left devastated following the loss of their dog that they’ve had since he was born in January.

They’re thankful for his heroic actions that day.

“Pit bulls are the most loyal dog I know of, and I’ve had a lot of different animals in my life,” Gary said.

“If you find (a pitbull) that’s aggressive, most likely, it’s because they weren’t treated right,” Gina added. “If you treat them right, they would give their life for you and I owe my son’s life to him,” according to WSVN.

The following video discusses how to identify a coral snake and what to do in case you encounter one:

Geo quick facts: Sumter County is a county located in the state of Florida, United States. As of September 2016, the population according to county officials is 118,577. It has the oldest median age of any US county. Its county seat is Bushnell, and the largest community is The Villages – Wikipedia.