Pit Bull saves 2 women from deadly cobra, dies wagging his tail

BARANGAY LAPASAN (Philippines)
Mar 1, 2007


The children in the Fronteras household refer to their dog as "kuya" ("big brother"), and he certainly proved it on the day he sacrificed his life to protect the family.

On Monday, Feb. 12 at around 2 p.m., "Chief", an American Pit Bull Terrier, rescued Liberata la Victoria, 87, and her granddaughter Maria Victoria Fronteras from a deadly cobra which had entered their house through an opening in the kitchen.

Liberata la Victoria and Chief had been watching TV on the sofa when suddenly Chief jumped up and alerted her to the presence of a cobra less than 10 feet away. Maria Victoria rushed in and pulled her grandmother into a separate room, hoping the snake would leave.

But when Maria Victoria later emerged from the room, she was terrified to find the cobra poised about two feet away. Equally startled, the cobra expanded its hood and appeared to be spitting venom as it prepared to strike.

"The snake was in front of us, maneuvering a deadly attack," says Maria Victoria. "I screamed out loud to ask for help."

That's when from "out of nowhere", Chief dashed between the cobra and the two women, using himself as a shield against the cobra's attacks. Chief then seized the cobra by the neck and slammed it into the floor, killing it.

But for Chief it was a Pyrrhic victory. In the struggle, he sustained a fatal bite to the jaw, and moments later he began gasping for breath and collapsed.

The family sought the help of a veterinarian, but they were told that nothing could be done. According to the vet, the bite was too close to Chief's brain, and the venom had already spread. Maria Victoria called her husband Marlone who, stunned by the news, rushed home immediately.

Ian de la Rama, a friend of the family, says it was less than 30 minutes from the time Chief had been bitten that he "went wobbly and lost control of his organs," urinating and defecating uncontrollably. Yet he still kept clinging to life.

It wasn't until Marlone arrived that Chief finally let go.

Ian de la Rama describes, "Chief gave his two deep breaths and died. He was fighting and saving his last ounces of breath to see a glimpse of his master for the last two seconds of his life."

Ian adds that the last thing Chief did as he gazed up at Marlone was wag his tail.

Source: Dogs in the News

Labels: articles, dogs, photos

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I just finished voting for the second phase of the Official New7Wonders of Nature campaign. And I can say that I am biased in choosing for the New 7 Wonders.

I love the sea, the lake, the river, or any body of water. So don't be surprised if majority of those I chose involves water.

OK. So here are my bets:

1. Puerto Princesa Subterranean River (Philippines) - ASIA
   
2. Bu Tinah Shoals (United Arab Emirates) - ASIA
   
3. Red Sea Reef (Djibuoti/Egypt/Eritrea/Israel/Jordan/Saudi Arabia/Sudan/Yemen) - AFRICA
4. Aletsch Glacier (Switzerland) - EUROPE
5. Niagara Falls (Canada/United States) - NORTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA
6. Great Barrier Reef (Australia/Papua New Guinea) - OCEANIA
7. Fernando de Noronha, Archipelago (Brazil) - SOUTH AMERICA

Have you already exercised your right to vote? ;>

Labels: new7wonders

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I can't contain the joy I'm feeling because of God's goodness. I'm so thankful that God has given me another year to live. By the end of this year, I'll be saying goodbye to my teen years and I'll enter a new chapter in my life. At first I find it hard to accept that I'll soon be leaving my comfort zone but I realized that adding a year to my age means being a year wiser. And being older lets me reflect on the past years of my life and gives me the chance to thank God for being with me all those years.

I now know when to let go of grudges that were haunting me all these years.
I now know how to take one step at a time and enjoy life.
I now know how to cherish each minute that God is giving me.
And I now know how to make the most out of the gift of life that God has given me.

I guess being a year older is not so bad at all. =]

Labels: realizations

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