4 hero dogs who saved their humans

3. Bite me, instead

When a 7-year-old girl was about to be bitten by a rattlesnake, the family dog sprang to action and took the bites instead.

Haus, a two-year-old German shepherd, suffered three bites from the venomous Eastern diamondback rattler it confronted in its owner’s backyard in Tampa, Florida. He survived but was in a lot of pain due to a swollen leg and having a blood transfusion. Had he not received the treatments, the dog would’ve died within hours.

“There’s no doubt he was protecting our family,” Haus’s owner said.

A GoFundMe page was set up to help pay for Haus’s expenses. Nearly $50,000 was raised for the $15,000 vet bill. The family says it will donate the rest to a local dog rescue.