'Sweet Hero' Dog Takes Rattlesnake Bite on Face While Protecting Owner

A brave Golden Retriever stepped in front of his owner when a rattlesnake lunged - and is expected to fully recover

The We Rate Dogs Twitter account almost went into overdrive this week as news got out about Todd, a Golden Retriever puppy who protected his owner from a rattlesnake but took the bite on his face instead.

Todd’s owner, Paula Godwin, posted photos of Todd after his encounter with the venomous snake on Friday. She was walking her dogs on a trail near her home in Anthem, Arizona, when she almost stepped on the snake, she told Phoenix’s KTAR-FM, but Todd jumped in front of her before the snake could bite her.

“It bit Todd quickly then started rattling,” she said, adding that she grabbed the dog and ran down the hill to get Todd to an animal hospital, where he received anti-venom treatment. Though he is recovering well, the photos from the aftermath, posted to Godwin’s Facebook account, show the pup’s swollen muzzle where the rattlesnake bit.

When the WeRate Dogs account posted Todd’s photos with a “15/10” rating and called him a “true h*cking hero,” the dog’s story went viral, being reported as far out as Belgium and the Philippines. A GoFundMe fundraiser posted by “friends of Todd” has raised nearly $2,000, it says, to help other dogs who need anti-venom.

Godwin posts on her Facebook that Todd is healing quickly and they are amazed by all the attention he has received. “My sweet Todd is sure my hero,” she writes.