Hero Dogs

(Image credit: Donald Wong)

While we can't communicate with our furkids, we trust that they love us as much as we love them. On April 8, a family living in Braddell had their two pet dogs prove their desire to protect them, through a heartwarming story of selflessness.

In the evening, the Wong family was alerted to the presence of a 1.5m-long Black Spitting Cobra in their backyard when their two dogs started barking. Speaking to The Straits Times, the family's 25-year-old son Wong Ji Siang, said that they tried to stop their dogs from attacking the cobra.

That said, by the time the family got the garden tools, hoping to intercept in the canine-cobra encounter, the serpent was already half dead, with their two mongrels, Yeogi and Kumar, attacking it in bid to save their family. Unfortunately, six-year-old Yeogi, was not left unscathed from the duel. She had her right eye struck with the snake's venom, which led to swelling and the secretion of pus from her eye. The Straits Times reported that Yeogi has been taken to the veterinarian and has since regained most of her eyesight.

This incident was not the first time the four-legged heroes have saved the family from venomous snakes. In fact, on April 7, they encountered a snake of the same species and had killed it before anyone could be hurt by it.

We're thankful that both dogs are now recovering well from the encounter, and that the Wong family was able to be on the receiving end of such love, loyalty, and bravery. However, the outcome could have been very different, depending on the strength of the two dogs. Members of the public should take the necessary precautionary measures to protect their furkids from such attacks. According to Anbarasai Boopal, deputy chief executive of Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES), residents who come across snakes or other creatures in their home should call the ACRES hotline for help. The 24-hour hotline is +65 9783 7782.