Man Sucks Venom From Pet Dog

A 50 year old Wyoming man saved his dog’s life this week by sucking the rattlesnake venom from his snout in true John Wayne style, even risking his own life in the process.

Bobby Jenkins was out on his ranch last week (15th May) with his three Labrador dogs, one golden lab named Emmy, a chocolate lab called Kody and a young black lab named Tank. Emmy was spooked by something under a piece of farm equipment, and Kody steered well clear of the scene but Tank ran in headlong and received a rattlesnake bite right on the end of his snout.

Jenkins used lightening fast reactions to kill the reptile with a shovel, and then tended to his wounded pooch. Poor Tank had two bloody fang marks on the top of his nose, and his head began to balloon to three times it’s normal size. Rattlesnake venom is highly hemotoxic and Tank was in great danger, without a thought for his own safety Jenkins immediately began sucking the venom from the dog’s muzzle and spitting it out on the ground.

Before even considering his own health Jenkins met his mother and they both took Tank to a local veterinary clinic to get an anti-venom injection. After the vet gave Tank the all clear Jenkins and his mother even stopped to buy some groceries on the way home, but that’s when Jenkins began to feel ill himself.

“My heart started beating really, really fast and I had a cold sweat,” he said.

The pair headed to the local hospital Accident and Emergency department, where Jenkins was bollocked by hospital staff for saving the dog. Jenkins required four anti-venom doses, each dose comes in a separate vial and they cost $3,500 a pop.

Jenkins was unrepentant though, “It was just instinct,” he said. “I saved the dog and I saved myself.”

What do you think? Brave hero, or reckless and expensive?

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