Zeus the pit bull puppy dies protecting his Florida owner's two young sons from being attacked by a venomous coral snake that bit him four times
- Zeus, an eight-month-old pit bull, saved two boys from a coral snake in Florida
- The dog was bitten four times as he defends the kids while they were outside
- On Tuesday he died of his wounds after two anti-venom treatments failed
- The Richardson family remembered him as 'the most loyal dog' they know
An eight-month-old pit bull has died after he was bitten by a snake four times while he tried to his owner's children.
Zeus the dog stepped in between a coral snake and brothers Oriley and Orion, as they were cleaning a water bowl outside the family home in Sumter County, Florida.
The kids had not seen the venomous reptile slither towards them, but the pit bull did and attacked it on Monday, dad Gary Richardson explained.
The family rushed the puppy to Ocala Veterinary Hospital to be treated with anti-venom but the dog was left in a critical condition and sadly passed the next day.
Richardson described Zeus, who had been with them since January, as 'the most loyal dog I know of' and added that he owed his son's life to him.
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Father Gary Richardson with two of his four kids, who all surrounded Zeus the pit bull to mourn his passing at around 6.30am on Tuesday
The dog, who was eight-months-old, was bitten four times by a venomous coral snake as he tried to protect two of the family's sons on Monday
Richardson explained how the puppy suddenly attacked the snake, who the boys had not noticed. They believe he ripped the reptile's head off and swallowed it
The family recalled the incident that happened at around 6.15pm on Monday and would lead to their dog's death.
Zeus was lying down as he waited for his dish to be cleaned when Orion noticed the dog's eyes and described them as looking 'bugged out.'
Richardson told Fox 35 Orlando: 'All of a sudden, he started attacking the snake which was close to my son and shaking it around, he was bit four times.'
Zeus' face suddenly began to swell up and when he lifted his head-up from the ground they could see the lifeless body of a red, yellow and black snake.
'I knew when he first came in that something was wrong and (it) was very traumatic because I knew he was dying,' Richardson added.
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The dog needed two vials on antivenom during his stay at the vets and struggled to stay awake as the family spoke to him.
Mother Georgina Richardson wrote: 'They got him stable enough for me to FaceTime after about an hour and a half which was spectacular because Gary and the kids wanted to speak with him.
'He kept falling asleep on FaceTime but tried hard to interact and show his human kids and Gary that he will fight this.'
The following morning at 6.30am on Tuesday, Zeus sadly passed away.
Later the Richardson's gathered around the puppy along with Sega, the dog's mother, 'to say goodbye' Georgina wrote, 'she is also broken.'
She added: 'We are beyond broken right now. He gave his life to keep our son safe. I am forever grateful to him.'
Three of the Richardson's four children gather around Zeus the pit bull to say their goodbyes
Zeus was a part of the Richardson family since January. They have since thanked his brave actions that saved their two boys
The family have received an outpouring of love and support online.
Gary gave some final words about the beloved pet: 'He gave his life to show how much he loved my family.
'Pit bulls are the most loyal dog I know of, and I’ve had a lot of different animals in my life.'
The family set-up a Gofundme page to help cover his veterinary expenses that exceed $1,000 and also to share the story of their dog's brave act.
Georgina explained that she hoped Zeus would live on 'as an ambassador for the pit bull breed' and argued against the 'bad publicity' they receive.
She added: 'If you find (a pit bull) that’s aggressive, most likely, it’s because they weren’t treated right.
'If you treat them right, they would give their life for you and I owe my son’s life to him.'
The family went on FaceTime with the dog (left) to talk to him after his treatment. After he passed away on Tuesday morning, the family went to say goodbye and also bought the dog's mother Sega (bottom, right) who they said was 'broken' too.
Georgina (right) and the family remembered Zeus as 'the most loyal dog' and thanked hiim for saving their sons' lives
Gary (left) and the rest of the family had trained Zeus from a puppy. The family created Gofundme page in the hope of sharing his brave act and to share a positive story about pit bulls
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