WASHINGTON: A pet dog braved snakebites to save the life of a 7-year-old girl in the US, damaging its kidneys, following which a whopping USD 33,000 have poured in as donations for his treatment.
Haus, a 2-year-old German shepherd, was bitten thrice by an eastern diamondback rattlesnake while protecting the girl.
The dog was playing with Molly DeLuca on Wednesday when the rattlesnake showed up in their backyard in Florida following which Haus jumped between the girl and the snake.
"She saw him jump back, and go forward, and jump back and go forward," Molly's mom Donya DeLuca was quoted as saying by Fox News.
"He was just, kind of, holding his ground. Next thing we know is, there's blood and he was limping and crying," she added.
"Haus did not hesitate to rescue Molly because the two of them had developed an "unbelievable" bond, just based on temperament, he was standing up for my daughter, he was standing between, he didn't budge," DeLuca said.
Doctors in Tampa said the dog suffered damage to his kidneys, and the family feared losing him.
Hundreds of people are now coming to the dog's rescue, donating a whopping USD 33,000 so far for much-needed antivenin.
The pet is now expected to make a full recovery.
The family set up a GoFundMe page called "Help Save Haus" for donations to pay for his treatment.
"It is frightening to think it could have been my daughter. I don't know if she would have made it," DeLuca added.
The family had adopted Haus two months ago from a rescue centre here.