Brave German Shepherd takes three rattlesnake bites while protecting 7-year-old from deadly encounter
A Florida family credited their German Shepherd with saving their daughter’s life after he was bitten multiple times while standing between her and a rattlesnake. Haus, a two-year-old German Shepherd, was in the backyard of the DeLuca family’s Tampa-area home when he positioned himself between a rattlesnake and 7-year-old Molly DeLuca. The family said he stood his ground while their daughter and her grandmother were just feet away. "She saw him jump back, and go forward, and jump back and go forward," Molly’s mother said. "He was just kind of holding his ground," Donya DeLuca told FOX 13 Tampa Bay.
The next moment, the family realized he had been bitten. "Next thing we know is, there's blood and he was limping and crying," DeLuca said. Veterinarians later confirmed that Haus had been bitten three times. The venom load was so high that instead of receiving the usual one or two doses of antivenin, he was placed on a steady intravenous drip. He was moved to the ICU, where he received 24/7 intensive care. "I wasn't sure if they would be able to help him," DeLuca said. As a FOX 13 reporter noted, it had worsened after initial signs of progress, saying his breathing became shallow and he grew faint.
"The more bites, the more venom he had in him. They believe it’s a touch-and-go situation," the vet team told the outlet. According to the family, Haus did not retreat during the attack.
"Just based on temperament, he was standing up for my daughter, he was standing between, he didn't budge. He kept taking hits. She was on the other side of him, and so was my mom," DeLuca said. At the time of the incident, Haus weighed 68 pounds and had not been with the family long, but had already been a lot closer to Molly. "The bond that they have created in a short time has been unbelievable," DeLuca said.
While the family was thankful for Haus’s actions, they were also afraid he wouldn’t survive. "I feel really grateful for the dog. It is frightening to think it could have been my daughter. I don't know if she would have made it," DeLuca said. The family launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover veterinary bills, which had already reached $10,000 by Thursday night. "I couldn't even sleep last night. I barely slept because it is bittersweet. I am doing everything I can. I feel like I owe it to him to keep trying to save him," DeLuca added. Haus is in much better shape than before and is currently doing well, as per the American Kennel Club.
What Haus did reflects a well-documented trait of the German Shepherd breed, a strong instinct to protect the people they bond with. German Shepherds are known for their loyalty, intelligence, and natural protectiveness. A genomic study analyzing canine behavior found significant heritable markers in German Shepherds related to confidence, reactivity, and guarding instincts. These findings suggest that protective behavior in the breed is not only trainable but biologically wired. Their historical use in herding and guarding roles further reinforces this pattern, making them one of the most instinctively watchful and responsive breeds in family settings.
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