Hero Dog in Recovery After Saving Owner from Rattlesnake

• A teen has his furry best friend to thank for saving his life.
• Labrador retriever Marley rushed to his owner’s defense when a rattlesnake was about to strike.
• The brave dog was bitten twice, but is now on the road to full recovery.

Marley, a 7-year-old Labrador retriever, proved himself a hero when he saved his owner, 18-year-old Alex Loredo, from a rattlesnake attack.

Alex was simply doing laundry at his family’s house in San Diego when the incident happened. When he heard the dryer’s buzzer, he stepped outside to check the laundry.

That’s when he heard the unmistakably loud rattling of a rattlesnake underneath a table just a foot away from him.

Alex recalled to NBC San Diego, “Before I could even turn, Marley had run out the door, pushed me out of the way, and gotten in between the snake and me. My heart just dropped. My first thought was, ‘Oh no, I’m going to lose my best friend.’”

Marley was bitten twice — “one on his tongue and the other his neck,” said Alex.

While the snake slithered away from them, Alex and his mother rushed Marley to the hospital.

Alex recalled feeling “complete panic.”

“My heart was racing, and I didn’t know what was going to happen next,” he continued. He said he was afraid they were gonna lose him in the car.

Thankfully, the hero dog recovered and returned home after a few doses of antivenom and two days in an animal hospital.

Alex shared, “That’s the longest I’ve ever been away from him, so it was a really sad experience for me.”

After about two weeks, Marley was back to his playful ways.

Marley’s “no longer in danger,” says Alex. But he is still suffering from “nerve damage on his tongue and jaw and will require medication and weekly therapy visits.”

He has launched a GoFundMe page to help cover the medical expenses. It has since raised $12,000, which is beyond their $8,000 goal.

Rattlesnakes are spotted in Southern California throughout the year, but are most commonly seen from April to June.

Source: People