“Adopting a shelter animal can be simultaneously one of the most rewarding and anxiety-inducing times in any pet owner’s life. Catherine’s Miletich of Australia knows this all too well, especially since she recently adopted a Doberman Pinscher named Khan.
Even though Catherine and her husband were fully aware that Khan came from an abusive home prior to adopting him, they still had no qualms about introducing him to their 17-month-old daughter, Charlotte. When push came to shove, they wanted to rescue an animal rather than buy one from a breeder.
Recently, while young Charlotte was playing with the new dog in the family garden, Catherine noticed something that would be cause for concern for all pet owners, especially parents. When Catherine looked over, she noticed that Khan was snarling and pushing Charlotte around.
Just a moment later, the large Doberman grabbed the child by the diaper and tossed her across the yard like a ragdoll. “If I had not seen it with my own eyes, I would have never believed it,” Catherine recalled in an interview about the horrific incident. But just a moment later, she had the sudden realization of why Khan did what he did.
As Catherine was running towards Charlotte and Khan, she could see that her 17-month-old daughter was in shock. But once she glanced at the nearby grass, she realized what had caused her new dog to act out so aggressively.
There in the yard was a large brown snake. Apparently, Khan decided to pay it forward and thank his adoptive family for rescuing him by rescuing Charlotte from the massive king brown snake, one of the most venomous in all of Australia.
Though Australia is known to have many venomous snakes, this one, in particular, has venom powerful enough to kill an adult human in mere minutes. The effect on Charlotte would have been even faster.
Before Catherine could thank him for his bravery, she had the sudden realization that Khan was in danger. Time might have saved Charlotte, but he’d been bitten on his paw, and he collapsed to the ground.
Realizing time was of the essence, Catherine frantically rushed him to a nearby emergency veterinary clinic, where he received an anti-venom injection. Khan had a rough first night at the clinic, but thankfully he managed to pull through. The staff was amazed to see that he even had an appetite when he woke up the next morning. He still needed to heal from his wound, but he would be okay.
Now, Catherine is even more thankful that she chose to adopt Khan and rescue him from his abusive past. She had no idea that he would pay their family back for their kindness in other ways than simply being a loving and protective dog.
Khan went on to make a full recovery at the vet clinic and was sent back to live with his loving family in his new forever home. Just a few short days later, Catherine was happy to see that he and Charlotte became the best of friends.
It’s obviously alarming to see your animal going after your child, but when Catherine realized why Khan had done what he did, she realized she’d made a great decision to adopt him.”
