Ex-Army Dog Jumps At Girl And Dad Decides To Take Him To The Vet

A Distressing Call 

When her phone rang, she was surprised to see her mother’s name flashing on the screen. Her mother was home with the kids and for her to call in the middle of the day could only mean something terrible had happened.

Her mother’s panicked tone confirmed it and she felt her heart squeeze when she heard her daughter’s wailing in the background. She couldn’t believe what her dog had done and gathered her things in a rush to get home as soon as possible.

Looking For A Home 

Donya De Luca lived with her three children in Florida, the third being the family dog. She had loved and cared for her since she was a pup and her heart shattered when she passed away thirteen years later. There was no way she could replace her.

But that was before she found a two-year-old German Shepherd named Haus who needed a home. She felt for the pup and planned what she would say to win her husband over to the idea. Adam wouldn’t be an easy man to convince.

Not An Easy Man To Convince 

Adam was shocked at what his wife had proposed to him. When she saw the expression on his face she said, “We have to rescue him.”

Adam had a list of concerns about the idea. He was still grieving over their pet, who had just passed away, and he wasn’t sure that getting a large dog would be the best idea when their kids were still so young. He had friends who had told him they wouldn’t recommend it, and it wouldn’t be long before he recalled their advice.

Bringing Him Home

But when Adam met Haus for the first time, his heart swelled and he forgot all about his concerns. As he pet the German Shepherd, he knew that he and his wife had to take Haus home.

The children were over the moon when they brought Haus home. 7-year-old Molly asked what Haus meant, and her father explained that it was the German word for “house.” He thought his worrying had been for nothing when he saw how happy Molly and her 4-year-old brother, Joey, were. But one day, he would regret his decision.

Protective

Haus followed the children everywhere they went. They had been told that he was an ex-military dog, so it made sense to Donya. It warmed her heart to think he was so protective of her children.

She had caught Haus scouting the garden whenever the kids wanted to play outside. He would sniff around every nook and cranny he could find, but she had no idea that he had been doing so for a reason.

Obsessive 

It had just taken two months for the family to feel at ease around Haus. Donya often now left her kids alone with him while she worked in the kitchen. She had left him alone with her children and their grandmother on this particular day.

She didn’t know that he had been behaving differently. He seemed to be obsessively checking the yard and turned serious whenever he heard the slightest sound. It seemed as if he knew someone else was there.

Change In Atmosphere 

The children were excitedly playing in the garden when the atmosphere suddenly turned. When it happened, Donya’s mother had been watching Molly play with her new toys from the doorway.

Donya had grown to love Haus more than she ever thought possible so she was devasted by what she heard over the phone when her mother called. What had the dog done?

A Scream

Her heart was racing from the news, and she found herself rushing to get home. She knew it was too late, but she couldn’t help it. Her head was spinning, her mother’s words circling about in head mind.

While her mom had been away, Molly had glimpsed movement from the corner of her eye. One second she was playing with her toys, and then all she saw was the large shape of the dog bounding toward her. She couldn’t help but scream.

He Jumped

She was shocked by the scream. Molly’s grandmother rushed to the door to find a horrific sight. She knew she wouldn’t make it in time, but she tried anyway, her heart hammering in her chest.

She watched as the German Shepherd jumped on top of her, pushing her to the ground. She called his name, but Haus didn’t budge. There was nothing she could do.

Raise The Alarms

Molly looked up at his bared teeth. She heard her grandmother making her way toward her as fast as possible, but they both knew she wouldn’t make it in time. That’s when Haus made his next move.

Haus whipped around, startling Molly. He stood at attention with his ears, tail, and back hair raised. Something in the bushes had caught his attention, but they had no idea what it was.

Snapping

The dog leaped off Molly and lunged forward, his mouth opening with a flash of white as he struck his target, again and again, recoiling after each audible snap of his jaws.

Grandma DeLuca reached the scene as Haus let out a sound that chilled her bones. But she had to get to Molly.

All Her Fault

Grandma DeLuca’s mind raced at a million miles a minute as she ran. She had heard of dogs just snapping, but could this have happened to Haus? She couldn’t help but feel like it was all her fault.

She should have been paying more attention. She shouldn’t have let Molly go outside alone. But had they all been so overwhelmed by the loss of Bailey that they had refused to see what kind of dog he really was? Then, she saw it.

Snake!

The snake was poised to attack Molly, but its plans were dashed as Haus stood gallantly in front of her. She froze the second she realized the reality of the situation.

Slowly, Molly backed away from the dangerous reptile, not wanting to startle it into attacking. But the snake knew what it wanted and quickly made its move.

Priorities

Grandma DeLuca had one thing on her mind and one thing only. She scooped Molly up and ran to safety. She checked her all over until she was satisfied that she was unscathed.

She was surprised to see that there wasn’t a single scratch on the child. But when they turned their attention to Haus, grandma DeLuca screamed.

The Culprit

Molly had just escaped from the most dangerous snake in North America – the eastern diamondback snake. With a heavy, powerful body and long fangs, these rattlesnakes’ bites have a thirty percent chance of being fatal to a human.

Although these snakes are not usually aggressive, this one had a protective Haus to contend with. Haus had been shielding Molly from the danger and had sacrificed himself. But would he pay the ultimate price?

Bitten

The snake sank its teeth into Haus’s paw, then again, and again… The kids rushed to Haus’ aid as the scaly aggressor slid away.

Molly walked away from the terrifying situation unscathed, but Haus needed urgent medical attention. When Donya arrived, they put the dog in the car and headed straight for the vet before the venom could take effect.

Deadly Venom

Haus was treated at Blue Pearl Veterinary Partners animal hospital. Due to the injury to his paw, the poor pooch couldn’t walk without stumbling.

From the bite marks and the venom, the vet was able to determine that it was an Eastern diamondback rattlesnake, one of the most venomous snakes in America. Molly looked on in tears as Haus was tended to, desperately hoping for him to pull through.

He Didn’t Back Down

The vet on duty delivered some startling news. He informed the family that Haus had been bitten three times by the rattlesnake, which had flooded his body with a triple dose of deadly venom.

He explained that, usually, a dog would retreat after the first bite. But because Haus was fighting for Molly, he stood his ground. Vets had to administer a total of nine doses of anti-venom via a drip, as well as a blood transfusion. Then, an unavoidable complication arose for the DeLuca family.

Funds

As Haus’ life hung in the balance, the vet bills began to grow exponentially – too much for the family to afford. But they were determined to do everything they could for the dog who had risked his life for their daughter.

They created a GoFundMe account to try to raise the funds for Haus’ treatment, with a $28,000 goal to cover his medical expenses. But would anybody respond?

On The Mend

“I just want to pet him,” Molly said of the hero dog that probably saved her life. “Because if he plays, he might get hurt.”

Fortunately, the vet is confident that Haus will make a full recovery, and the outpouring of support has been incredible. Everyone seemed to love Haus.

Catching Him Off Guard

Adam was beyond relieved that his dog would make a full recovery. He felt the ball of stress in his chest loosen up. But after giving the good news, now the doctor had to give him the more unfortunate side of things.

It was the matter of settlement. Haus’ health wouldn’t be free, and it wouldn’t be cheap. But the price would send Adam spiraling.

Finding Another Way

Adam knew he had to find another way to pay for his dog’s bill. He couldn’t afford the treatment after the doctor informed him how much it would be. Even with all of his savings, it was far too much to pay at once.

He racked his brain for solutions. But he had no idea that someone else would be looking for the answer too.

The Bill

The vet’s bill equated to $28,000. An absurd sum of money for anyone. He definitely didn’t have that kind of money just lying around. He would have to think on his feet to try and come up with a plan.

He had no idea what he would do. But little did he know, the solution was busy being sorted out right under his nose.

A Mysterious Call

It had been a week since the trip to the vet, and thankfully, Haus was doing extremely well. He had recovered from the snake bite but put his owner in crippling debt. The poor dog had no idea that things cost money and couldn’t help it.

Adam was just glad that his pup was okay. But everything would change when he got a strange phone call.

An Anonymous Caller

Just as Adam thought that he’d have to take out a mortgage just to be able to pay for the vet bills, his phone started ringing. It was an unknown number calling him, and even though he didn’t normally answer them, something felt different.

He had a gut feeling that this was an important call. But when he answered, he didn’t recognize the voice on the other side.

Directing Him To A Website

The man told Adam that he wanted to help him. He had heard about his struggles with his dog and was thankful that he had made a recovery. Adam was understandably suspicious; how did this man know about his life so much?

But then things took an even stranger turn. The man directed Adam to a website he’d never heard of before.

The Website

Adam should have known better, but he decided to trust the stranger. He followed his directions down to the letter. But he couldn’t shake the feeling like this was a mistake. As he got closer to figuring out what was going on, his heart started pounding in his chest.

Did this man really want to help? Adam just hoped things would work out for the best.

A GoFundMe

Adam finally made it to the website, but he couldn’t believe what he was looking at. There was a GoFundMe page for Haus’ treatment. The anonymous caller explained that he had set it up for him after overhearing him speaking to the doctor at the vet.

Adam couldn’t thank the man enough. But when he looked at how much money had been raised, tears formed in his eyes.

Gaining Traction On Social Media

The man that had called Adam explained that the GoFundMe page had started out slow but picked up traction on social media after someone shared Haus’ story. This meant that people from all over the world saw it.

And they were more than willing to donate to the pup in need. But with so many people, the amount of money became ludicrous quickly.

Global Support

When news of the dog’s heroic actions spread on social media, the public was so awed by Haus’ fighting spirit that the cash began to pour in. Within just a few days, the campaign had reached a whopping $51,000 – almost double the DeLucas’ original goal.

Now, with his family and hundreds of Americans rallying for him, Haus had to fight as hard for his own life as he had fought for Molly’s.

Generosity

“Everyone’s generosity is allowing him to live, and we’re so touched and overwhelmed,” Donya said. “I have people from Sweden – and I don’t even know anyone in Sweden – reaching out and donating. It’s crazy.” 

And with all the support, care, and love being sent to Haus the Hero Dog, a miracle happened.

A Miracle

Miraculously, Haus was ready to go home in just seven days. Luckily, he had received treatment just in time, and vets were able to mitigate the massive amount of venom he had absorbed.

Donya was beside herself. “I would almost say it seems miraculous, based on the turnaround that we had from last week,” she told ABC News. “We’re just really, really happy.” But fans and followers had one question on their minds.

Updates

Everyone wanted to know: how was Haus doing?

Donya opened Haus his very own Facebook account to keep his fans updated. “We’ve gotten a lot of requests for updates, so I wanted to reach out,” she wrote in 2017. “Haus is doing very well. He is happy and healthy with very minimal lasting effects.”

Gotten Out Of Hand

The amount of money that they now had was certainly ludicrous. It had gotten out of hand quickly. They were grateful for the help from sympathetic people all over the globe, but now they were in a predicament.

They felt bad taking so much money from people. Especially since there was so much excess.

Figuring Out What To Do With The Money

The DeLucas had more money than ever now. But what would they do with it now? Haus’ bills were paid for, which left them with a whopping $24,000 left over. The kindness of strangers had helped them out more than they could imagine.

It didn’t feel right to spend the money on anything selfish. This money was a gesture made out of kindness, so they had to do the same that others had done to them.

Pay It Forward

After paying Haus’ veterinary bills, the DeLucas decided to send the rest of the funds to Heidi’s Legacy Rescue, where Haus was adopted, as well as other shelters in the area. Donya hopes Haus’ story will raise awareness for other dogs in need.

“People always want to adopt a puppy because it’s a puppy,” she said. “But adult dogs need homes too, and I hope my story will encourage people to go find their own Haus, who’s just as deserving of a home as a puppy.” Couldn’t we all do with a hero dog like Haus to protect us in our homes?

The Social Media Page

The Delucas decided that they would try to find a way to thank all of the donators for saving their wonderful dog. That’s why they set up the social media page in the first place. But they never expected it to catch on.

Now people across the world could see what their donations made possible. The health of their spectacular dog.

Getting A Lot Of Attention

The DeLucas had no idea how much attention their dog would even get. They set it up more out of obligation than anything else. They didn’t want to give millions of people the cold shoulder after they were kind to them.

But after only posting a handful of photos, the followers started rolling in. Their dog was a big hit!

A Sensation!

The social media page grew rapidly over the next few months and exploded into a sensation. People loved Haus and the heartwarming story he had to tell. What was even better was that many people who saw the post were redirected to a link on their page.

The DeLucas cleverly put up a link on Haus’ page that had a caption, “if you like me, you should go check out the shelter I came from. There are lots of others like me.”

Donations And Adoptions

The link sent people to Heidi’s Legacy Rescue’s website. The family was happy to hear that many people from across the world were now donating directly to the shelter thanks to them.

And what was even better was that many more people were coming into the shelter to adopt their very own Haus. This meant that many older dogs were given the chance they otherwise wouldn’t have gotten.

In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.