Pop Art Pet Unleashed

Another amazing animal story is making big news here in Colorado. Below is the story from the local Loveland, Colorado news, reporterherald.com:

The Longs don’t often see rattlesnakes in their manicured backyard behind a yellow farmhouse near Masonville. But last week, a rattler slithered onto the rocks in their yard and into the path of their 1-year-old grandson, Booker West.

As Booker splashed his hands in a birdbath in the yard, and as his grandfather, Monty Long, watched him, both unaware of the snake, the rattler poised, standing tall. It rattled and then it struck.

But the family’s Chihuahua, 5-pound, mellow, blond, 1-year-old Zoey, threw herself in front of Booker, taking rattlesnake fangs to the head and face.

“She got in between Booker and the snake, and that’s when I heard her yipe,” Monty said, sitting in his living room Thursday, an almost-walking Booker on his lap.

“I just kept thinking about the baby,” said his wife, Denise. “If it would have struck the baby. …” But Zoey’s yelp brought Monty running to scoop up the baby.

“(Zoey) took the bite for him,” he said. “If I hadn’t been paying attention to her yipe telling me something was wrong, (Booker) would have been next.”

And for her efforts, Zoey earned a face the size of a grapefruit, a trip to the veterinarian’s office, antivenin and morphine shots and a scar that cuts vertically across her head. She almost lost an eye.

“They didn’t know if she was going to make it,” Monty said. But she has earned hero status in the Long household.  She knew she was a good girl,” Denise said. “She just pranced around after that.”

And now Zoey, and the Longs, keep a closer watch on Booker, and a closer lookout for snakes. Once (Zoey) could see (after the swelling went down),” she was following Booker around,” Denise said. “She had snake on her mind.”

Thursday afternoon, Denise kept Booker away from the birdbath, away from the rocks where the snake had lurked. And Zoey romped in the grass with one of the Longs’ other three dogs.

“These little bitty dogs, they just don’t really get credit,” Denise said. “It’s usually the big dogs. … Chihuahuas are protective, but she’s on the sweet side, too.”

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