Dogs have been known as “man’s best friend” since the 1780s.
But there’s a good reason why dogs earned this title.
And this heroic dog saved a Colorado woman from one deadly bite that could have ended her life.
Dogs are by far the most popular pets in the United States.
65 million households in America have a pet dog.
Science shows that there are actually several benefits to owning a dog.
“Recent research shows that owning a dog is good for you physically and emotionally,” the American Kennel Club reported. “Dogs make us happier and healthier, they can help us cope with a crisis and can even help you get a date.”
Studies also show that dogs are good for your heart and help you live longer.
“A comprehensive review of studies published between 1950 and 2019 found that dog owners had a lower risk of death,” the American Kennel Club reported. “Studies suggest that dog owners have lower blood pressure levels and improved responses to stress.”
Most dogs are very loyal and protective of their owners.
And a woman in Colorado Springs recently found out how loyal dogs can be.
Carissa Welch recently took her dog Rizzo on a hike through the woods like she normally does.
But on this hike Rizzo saved her from a potentially deadly rattlesnake bite.
While walking with Rizzo, Welch heard the most frightening sound in the world for anyone who has experienced it.
And that is the sound of a rattlesnake.
“I heard the rattle,” she said, before adding that she “turned around and like I instantly yanked him.”
However, she didn’t yank Rizzo back in time and the rattlesnake bit him on the face.
Fortunately, she got Rizzo to the vet in time for them to administer life-saving anti-venom.
And Rizzo was back home a day-and-a-half and thousands of dollars later.
Welch said the dog was a hero because she didn’t have her snake boots on and it would have potentially bit her.
“I wasn’t wearing my boots,” she said. “Those were my trail running shoes.”
“If he had not taken the bite, I feel like it would have been me,” she added.
Anti-venom is very expensive, but Welch said she would have spent whatever it took to save his life.
“There’s no amount of money I would not pay to save his life,” Welch said.
Fortunately, her brother-in-law started a GoFundMe to help raise money for his veterinarian bill.
“Meet Rizzo, our beloved four-legged hero who recently risked his life to protect my sister-in-law from a rattlesnake attack,” her brother-in-law wrote on the GoFundMe page. “Rizzo’s swift actions saved her from harm, but now he needs our help to recover from the venomous bite he sustained.”
The GoFundMe has raised $2,475 of her $3,000 goal.
Welch said she had been dealing with significant mental health issues and Rizzo had inspired her not to give up on life.
“I’m grateful and blessed to have him,” Welch said.
Rizzo showed why dogs have been known as man’s best friend for centuries.
