Dog fights for life after saving owner from snake

[Ban Hammer 13,346]

SYDNEY (AFP) - An Australian sheepdog is fighting for its life after being bitten while saving its owner from a huge and deadly snake, local media reported Wednesday.

Fay Palethorpe, 68, was gardening on her large Gold Coast property when she encountered a two-metre (six-foot) eastern brown snake, the Australian Associated Press reported.

"He saw me and I saw him, and he reared up about two foot into the air and struck at me three times," she said. "I just screamed and ran."

As the snake pursued Palethorpe across the garden her three Australian sheepdogs, known as kelpies, leapt to her defence.

"It was coming after me, chasing me," she said, describing how one of the dogs, Tess, grabbed the snake and threw it in the air before it fled.

But the dog was bitten on the ear and was bleeding internally by the time Palethorpe reached an emergency animal clinic where Tess was given an urgent dose of antivenene.

"My vet said if it had got me I wouldn't have reached my back stairs, it was so deadly," Palethorpe said.

Tess sank into a coma soon after the incident on Sunday, and the vet rated her chances of survival as 50-50. But the heroic pet began blinking her eyes on Wednesday.

"Every hour is a little bit better," said Palethorpe.

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for our aussie people - is an eastern brown snake the most posionous in australia?

[JODO 2]

Awww good doggy

[Sister Fracas 5]

hope the pup makes it...

According to Animal Planet....

The 10 most venomous snakes in the world live in Australia.

The fierce snake, or inland taipan, is the world's most venomous snake; its toxin is more than 50 times as potent as an Indian cobra's! During the day, fierce snakes prowl the dry flood plains of central Australia in search of small mammals, especially native rodents like longhaired rats, house mice and kultarrs. At night they shelter in deep soil cracks. Contrary to their name and reputation, fierce snakes are quite docile.

The eastern brown snake is the second-most venomous snake in the world and, with its contentious nature, perhaps the most deadly. They are found in a wide variety of habitats in central and eastern Australia, including savanna woodlands, grasslands and arid scrublands. They mainly eat reptiles and small mammals along with the occasional bird or frog.

Unlike fierce snakes, eastern browns can be very aggressive. They are fast moving and quick to retreat but will attack when provoked, rearing up in a distinctive "S" shape and striking repeatedly

[JVKn'CVO 11]

Dogs never cease to amaze me... so loyal, so kind. Hope he makes a full recovery

Saludos,

Caro

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Hope she pulls through. What an awesome dog.

[LoriLawless 0]

Awwwwww poor doggie.

[yassmine2878 1]

Argggh. I cant bear to read something like this when im pregnant, It makes me cry buckets . Prayers for the pup-doodle, hope he pulls through.

[Ban Hammer 13,346]

hope the pup makes it...

According to Animal Planet....

The 10 most venomous snakes in the world live in Australia.

The fierce snake, or inland taipan, is the world's most venomous snake; its toxin is more than 50 times as potent as an Indian cobra's! During the day, fierce snakes prowl the dry flood plains of central Australia in search of small mammals, especially native rodents like longhaired rats, house mice and kultarrs. At night they shelter in deep soil cracks. Contrary to their name and reputation, fierce snakes are quite docile.

The eastern brown snake is the second-most venomous snake in the world and, with its contentious nature, perhaps the most deadly. They are found in a wide variety of habitats in central and eastern Australia, including savanna woodlands, grasslands and arid scrublands. They mainly eat reptiles and small mammals along with the occasional bird or frog.

Unlike fierce snakes, eastern browns can be very aggressive. They are fast moving and quick to retreat but will attack when provoked, rearing up in a distinctive "S" shape and striking repeatedly

seem like there's a lotta poisonous critters down under.

[Reba 2]

poor puppy

I always worry about my dogs out in our yard. There's poisonous snakes around here, and I've even on occasion heard rattlers behind the garden shed. Scared the bejeebers outta me I must admit!

[Drew and Tik 0]

If she dies, she'll die a hero. Hope she makes it.

Edited October 31, 2007 by Drew and Tik

[JODO 2]

If she dies, she'll die a hero. Hope she makes it.

[Fandango 1,439]

If she dies, she'll die a hero. Hope she makes it.

She's a hero even if she lives

Hope she makes it, brave doggy! Said a prayer for her!

[Mary Lou 681]

Aww, what a great doggie, i hope she will be ok