When it comes to breeds of dog, there are few that get such bad press as the pit bull.
The debate continues to rage today; some people argue that they deserve their reputation as dangerous dogs, and others of the more progressive opinion that if given the correct training when young, they will develop into loyal and reliable companions.
One pit bull/labrador cross has thrown the breed back into the media spotlight. But, before you jump to any conclusions, it’s for good reasons.
When pit bull Hurley and his owner were out walking, they heard the scream of a young boy close by. Before the owner could act, Hurley had bolted in the direction of the noise. What he did upon finding the child makes for interesting reading indeed …
Stacie Rae English has every reason to be proud of her brother’s pit bull, Hurley. Whilst out walking in a neighbourhood field at 10pm, Stacie’s brother and his dog heard the screaming of a young boy not too far away.
According to Stacie, the reason the pair walk so late at night is so that he can be let off his lead and enjoy doing what a dog does best; explore scents and have fun. On this particular occasion, however, the fact that Hurley is able to roam freely might have meant the difference between life and death.
After hearing the screaming, Hurley’s owner reacted, but not before Hurley himself ran off in pursuit of the noise. By the time the owner had found the source of the commotion, he realised that Hurley had killed a copperhead snake who was about to attack a young boy.
That’s right; despite the fact that Hurley had never met the child, he acted to save him from the snake. It later emerged that the boy had indeed disturbed a copperheads nest.
So moved was Stacie by her brother’s dog’s heroics, that she decided to share the story on Facebook in the hope of shedding some light on what pit bulls can truly be like.
She wrote:
– ‘My brother was walking his pit bull lab mix, Hurley, in our neighborhood field around 10 pm. He walks him this late so he can let him off his leash so he can do what he loves to do, explore all the different smells. They heard a young kid scream and before my brother knew it, Hurley took off after the scream. With my brother close behind, he saw Hurley grab a copper head snake away from the little boy and fling it around, later found out he had killed it.”
In the immediate aftermath of the incident, the boy involved ran to his mother’s car. Stacie’s brother was therefore unable to attain any information past the obvious, but called animal control all the same. The Highland Village Cops then arrived to check out the scene, discovering that Hurley had actually been bitten himself on the lip.
– “The little boy ran to his mother’s vehicle and drove off so fast that my brother was unable to find out any information on the little boy. (We are assuming because they left so fast that he was bitten and being rushed to the ER) My brother then went on to call animal control and the Highland Village Cops showed up to check out the scene. They asked to take a look at Hurley to see if he was bitten.”
– “To my brother’s surprise, he was bleeding, had a swollen neck and foaming from his mouth. Sure enough, they found two puncture wounds in his upper lip. Shelby rushed Hurley to Denton Animal Emergency Hospital where he stayed the night so they could check his blood clotting ability multiple times throughout the night. Shelby and Hurley both got home this morning,”
The pit bull spent the night at Denton Animal Emergency Hospital, but went home the next day safe and sound.
Since the ordeal, Stacie’s Facebook post has been shared more than 21,000 times. She’s keen to help get rid of the image that all pit bulls are extremely dangerous.
It would appear that she’s not alone. One user wrote:
If you, too, think Hurley behaved like a hero, please share this article so he gets the coverage he deserves! Go Hurley!
