Dog with ‘heart of a bear’ dies protecting family from rattlesnake, Texas owner says

Scooter may have only weighed 12 pounds, but his Texas family says he had “the heart of a bear.”

And when a rattlesnake found itself outside an Austin home, Scooter’s courageous heart may have saved his human family from a potential attack.

“Scooter lost his life last (night) protecting our house,” homeowner Brian Chaffe said in a Facebook post last week. “He was always on patrol 100% of his outside life.”

With a desire to guard his family, it’s no surprise Scooter immediately ran up to a large rattlesnake hiding under the porch when he was let outside.

The snake fought back, Chaffe said, biting Scooter in the neck.

Chaffe wrote that he got their brown-and-white-spotted dog to the veterinarian within 25 minutes of the bite, but it was too late. The rattlesnake had killed him.

“Afraid of nothing and willing to give his life protecting us,” Chaffe wrote. “Rest easy our lil guardian Scooter.”

This Texas family believes their terrier mix “died a hero,” as their 3- and 5-year-old sons could have been bit instead, KVUE reported.

The day after the attack, Hill Country Snake Removal visited the home with plans to capture the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake. That specific species is one of 10 rattlesnakes found in Texas, the state wildlife department says, and “is the most common and widespread venomous snake in Texas.” It averages 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 feet in length with brown diamond shapes along its back.

The removal company recorded the successful rattlesnake capture on video.

In the minute-long video, the snake can first be seen coiled up underneath the wooden deck.

Using long snake tongs and a flashlight to light the way, Brett Parker from the removal company got a hold of the hissing snake and pulled it out into the lawn. With a smile on his face, he then placed the rattlesnake into an orange bucket before topping it with a lid.

“The snake was released far away from any homes to hopefully never run into another human or pet again,” Hill Country Snake Removal said in the Sept. 4 Facebook post.

In a message to McClatchy News, Parker, a snake expert, said he usually tries to release a snake within about a mile of where it was captured.

“Most people don’t know or understand how rattlesnakes could possibly be beneficial but the fact is their main diet is rodents and the problems rattlesnakes cause pale in comparison to the problems rodents can cause,” he said. “If at all possible call someone to remove and relocate the snake away from people.”

If you do get bit, Hill Country Snake Removal recommends going to the hospital right away.

“No cutting, no sucking, no cutting off circulation, no snake bite kit, no taser, no tobacco, no basil, do not catch the snake, no no no,” the company said Aug. 31. “Hospital! Go. All the venomous snakes we have here are all treated with the same antivenom you do not need to catch the snake to get the right treatment.”

Texas Parks and Wildlife also requests that you do not kill the snake.

“Snakes serve a valuable function in the environment. Please do not kill a snake — even a venomous one,” the department says. “Snakes do not prey on humans and they will not chase you, in fact they usually retreat or escape if given the opportunity. The danger comes when they are either surprised or cornered. The majority of bites result from people taking unnecessary or foolish risks with venomous snakes.”

Texas Department of State Health Services says one to two people die from venomous snake bites in Texas each year.

This story was originally published September 9, 2021 at 8:46 AM with the headline "Dog with ‘heart of a bear’ dies protecting family from rattlesnake, Texas owner says."