A DOG may be a man’s best friend, but if you ask Ebony Davis, pictured, every three-year-old girl should have a canine companion. Ebony’s 10-year-old Staffordshire terrier Roary came to the youngster’s rescue when a brown snake struck at her in her Lockwood backyard last week. The tiny animal lover was feeding her guinea pigs when the snake came from under a nearby bush and launched its attack. As her father Tim leapt to Ebony’s aid, the family dog raced to the youngster’s defence and snatched the reptile as it came within millimetres of the little girl’s body. Tim swiftly placed his daughter on his shoulders and watched as Roary the staffy was bitten three times before dropping the snake. After a brief glory lap of the backyard, Roary quickly started to show signs of illness. Within minutes Tim was en route to the Kangaroo Flat Veterinary Clinic, resuscitating his beloved pet during the speedy drive into town. “He almost turned around and brought him home at one stage,” Tim’s partner Christine Martin said. “He thought he was dead. “But he kept giving him mouth to mouth to keep him going. “The vet was so quick-thinking when he got there and we can’t thank them enough.” Christine and Tim then spent the evening counting their blessings that their dog had survived the ordeal. But they were even more relieved that Ebony and her younger sisters Naomi and Olivia had escaped danger. “I spent the night crying thinking it could have been Ebony,” Christine said. “I would hate to lose my dog, but it would have been so much worse to lose our child.” The couple has also vowed not to have any more rodent pets on their Lockwood property.
