Those special animals that come through our lives are unforgettable.
The part that hurts is when they’ve got to leave without us, ya know. What a story!
Oriley Richardson, 10, was playing in his family's backyard in Webster on Sept. 23 when the 9-month-old pit bull suddenly jumped toward him, his mother Gina Richardson said, Oriley noticed the pup attacking something on the ground, but thought it was a rope.
It was poisonous coral snake and the dog did it’s best to keep it away from the boy.
As the dog struggled to keep the snake away, brother Orion, 11, stepped into the backyard to give Zeus some water.
Zeus at that point payed on top of the snake. How smart is this dog? He used body weight to smother the deadly snake and prevent it from harming the boys.
Orion noticed that Zeus' eyes looked "bugged out," Richardson said.
That's when they turned him over and discovered Zeus had been bitten four times before he bit off and swallowed its head.
The family rushed Zeus to a nearby animal hospital, and administered anti-venom.
Sadly, it was too late. Zeus died the following day -- the same day as Oriley's birthday.