Tommy, a nine-year-old dog in India, kept a venomous snake from entering his family's home during a confrontation lasting nearly an hour, but the encounter cost him his life.
Here's what to know
India Today reported that the encounter took place in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, at about 2 a.m.
The household learned of the danger through Tommy's barking, the family said. He had spotted the snake approaching the house before anyone inside noticed it.
Tommy confronted the approaching snake and kept it from getting inside.
Tommy died roughly an hour after the fight ended from a venomous bite he sustained during the encounter. The family said the snake was killed in the confrontation.
The family said Tommy was an inseparable part of their lives after nine years spent protecting their home.
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Residents joined the family in paying tribute to Tommy's loyalty as news of the confrontation spread through the area.
"If he had not stopped the snake that night, it could have entered the house and harmed someone," they said, per India Today.
Where can I learn more?
Other pets in India have also raised the alarm or stood their ground when venomous snakes threatened families and farm animals. These stories describe a parrot's warning, a dog's defense of hens, and two people bitten while handling snakes.
• In India, a pet parrot woke its family to a cobra before dying from snakebite.
• In Odisha, a farm dog held off a 15-foot king cobra threatening 3,000 hens.
• In India, a student caught a venomous snake, suffered a bite, and bottled it.
• In Odisha, a woman rescuing a snake was bitten, then brought it to the hospital.
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