Every dog owner has experienced the joy of taking their furry friend on a brisk walk first thing in the morning.

So is Paula Godwin, who lives in Anthem, United States. On the 29th of June, she and her two dogs, Todd and Cooper, went for a stroll without much thought, but the outing did not finish in the way that Paula had anticipated.

Because of how quickly everything transpired, Paula at first failed to see that there was anything sitting on the road in front of her. Godwin said in a post on Facebook: “It was a gorgeous morning, however as we were heading down the hill I actually nearly walked on a rattlesnake.” “But my brave little dog Todd came to my rescue,” she said.

Todd, a 6-month-old Golden Retriever, put the old adage “a dog is a man’s best friend” to the test when he sprang in front of his owner and a poisonous reptile and took the bite that was intended for his human companion. “Had he not leaped directly in front of my leg, where I was certain to be bit, I would have.” Paula describes the individual in the picture as a hero.

Paula Godwin didn’t even stop to consider before she hurried off to the closest veterinary facility after realizing that the unfortunate dog had been bitten on the face by a rattlesnake and that the wound soon began to enlarge. The veterinarian administered an anti-venom injection to Todd and then kept him in the hospital for the remainder of the day just to be sure that everything was all right.

Yesterday, his owner posted a photo of Todd enjoying the park along with an update to her Facebook status, in which she said that her dog is doing well in his recovery and has already resumed walking. “Todd is without a doubt my hero, and I feel the need to emphasize that the guy up stairs is most certainly looking out for me as well,” she said.