Update:
According to GoFundMe, “Haus is doing great!”
This heroic dog and his family were overwhelmed by donations, and he was able to get the best care possible. Once the DeLuca family had raised enough money, they urged donators to give to Heidi’s Legacy Dog Rescue, where they’d adopted Haus from!
The brave pup even has his own Facebook page: Haus the Hero Dog.
Original Story:
When the DeLuca family rescued a beautiful 2-year-old German Shepherd named Haus, they had no idea that 2 months later, he’d be saving the life of one of their young family members.
They adopted Haus to fill a void left by their German Shepherd mix Bailey. Kids Molly, 7, and Joey, 4, as well as the family’s other dog, were particularly thrilled to welcome Haus into the family.
One day when Molly was playing in the fenced-in yard of their Tampa, Florida home, her grandmother, who was watching, noticed Haus jump in front of the little girl. He snapped at something one, two, then three times.
At first she wasn’t sure what had happened, but when they noticed blood coming from the pup’s front leg, they rushed him to the vet. It was there that they realized he’d been bitten by an Eastern Diamondback rattlesnake, the most poisonous snake in North America. What’s more, he’d been bitten three times. They later realized that the dog had probably snapped at the snake after each strike.
According to ABC news, Haus’ kidneys were damaged from the poison, but thankfully, he is healing well and expected to make a full recovery. However, the cost of ICU care and the administration of many anti-venom vials–4-5 per day–has racked up thousands of dollars worth of medical bills. The ABC news story reports that ICU care for the pup costs around $1000-1500 per night, while each anti-venom vial is $618.
Luckily, as this amazing story of heroism went viral, people jumped in to help the DeLuca’s and their life-saving dog. Haus’ GoFundMe page exploded, with donations far exceeding their goal of $28,000. Currently, the funds surpass $50,000.
The generosity has been so overwhelming, that the page has been updated to urge donators to give their money to Heidi’s Legacy Dog Rescue, where the DeLuca’s adopted their heroic Haus.
“We love the donations for Haus – it’s so moving to see your giving spirit!” reads the GoFundMe page. “And donate, adopt or rescue instead. Haus has enough money to meet his needs. Many other beautiful German Shepherds like Haus are waiting on you! Thanks so much!”
The page also states that any funds left over from Haus’ medical expenses will be donated to Heidi’s Legacy Dog Rescue and other charities.
ABC reports that the DeLuca’s always knew that their protective pooch would risk his life for their children. Now, they’ve really been left without a doubt.
“He just exceeded our expectations all the way around,” Mrs. DeLuca told ABC. “Right away, the kids were hugging and loving on him, he always took it, he never did anything. Whenever anyone came to the door, he would start barking and try to be protective. He has just been an amazing dog. He’s the type of dog that when you want to go buy a dog, you pay thousands of dollars and that’s the dog you get. But we adopted him and got him for free.”
What an amazing dog! We hope that Haus is feeling like himself again very soon. We’re sure his family will be thrilled to have him back home!
Check out this segment by ABC News:
