Pit bull chases after little boy. Dog's swift actions saves boy's life

Pit bulls are judged severely by public opinion, but ask any owner who has raised and trained their dog right, and they will tell you that this breed is dedicated, loyal, and sweet. Now we can add heroic to that list of adjectives, thanks to a dog named Hurley.
One evening, Hurley's owner Shelby was walking him around an area of the neighborhood where he could let the dog off leash. Suddenly, both man and dog heard a terrified scream from a child. Before Shelby could move, Hurley was off and running in the direction of the little boy's cries.
Advertisement
Shelby's sister, Stacie Rae English, was so touched by what Hurley did next that she had to share the story with her friends on Facebook. Here is her account of what happened:
"With my brother close behind, he saw Hurley grab a copper head snake away from the little boy and fling it around, later found out he had killed it. The little boy ran to his mothers vehicle and drove off so fast that my brother was unable to find out any information on the little boy. (We are assuming because they left so fast that he was bitten and being rushed to the ER)."
Hurley had saved the little boy from serious injury as copperhead snakes are poisonous, and although their bites won't hurt adults too much, children can have strong reactions to the venom.
The heroic pit bull rescued the young boy, but he took the brunt of the snake bites himself. English wrote, "My brother then went on to call animal control and the Highland Village Cops showed up to check out the scene. They asked to take a look at Hurley to see if he was bitten. To my brothers surprise, he was bleeding, had a swollen neck and foaming from his mouth. Sure enough, they found two puncture wounds in his upper lip."
Hurley was rushed to the nearest veterinary hospital where he remained overnight for observation. According to English, the doctors wanted to "check his blood clotting ability multiple times through out the night."
Thankfully, Hurley was not in grave danger and was able to go home the next day. "Shelby and Hurley both got home this morning. Thank God, Hurley is doing a lot better this morning, just seems a little uncomfortable with his swollen face and neck," said English.
Evidently, the little boy had stumbled across a copperhead nest, and English and her brother hope that Hurley was able to prevent the child from being bitten or at least being bitten more than once.
English notes, "We are still trying to find out who the little boy is and make sure he is okay. Here's our hero pit bull. I'd like for his story to get around for those who judge his breed."
Advertisement
Hurley is definitely a hero! Well done, Hurley! Share his heroic rescue of the little boy with your friends and family on Facebook.