AMAZING ANIMALS #1

Meet the Dog that Saved this Tot from a Deadly King Brown Snake

After finding himself up for adoption in a Cairns animal shelter, a once-neglected dog became the subject of worldwide adulation after saving the life of his new family's 17-month-old daughter.

Charlotte Svilicic (right) was playing in the garden of her Queensland home when a king brown snake - among the world's deadliest - made a  move towards her. Sensing the impending danger, Doberman Khan stepped in, grabbing the young girl by the back of her nappy and dragging her clear of the reptile to safety.

His bravery came at a cost, with the former pound pup savaged by the snake instead. Khan ran inside and collapsed, with only the life-saving efforts of the local vet and a dose of anti-venom saving the hairy hero from certain death.

The whole dramatic scene played out right before charlotte's horrified mother, Catherine. "Khan kept trying to nudge her but it wasn't working, so he grabbed her by the back of the nappy and threw her," she says.

After having the dog for just four days, Catherine was taken aback by his selfless act. "If I had not seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed it."

If Khan was looking for a way to repay the faith shown in him by his new family, it seems he found the perfect answer.

However, he had little reason to show faith in humanity in the first place.

This dependable Doberman had only recently been rescued from an abusive home. Suffering broken ribs as a result of being cruelly beaten, as well as the effects of serious starvation, Khan was a borderline case - and his vet considered putting him down.

Thankfully for the Svilicic family, the physical and emotional scars healed, and their canine companion learnt to love again.

Woman's Day
4 Feb 2008
p. 68