Mum Leaves Child Alone With Family Dog. Before She Returns, Something Horrifying Happens!
A fully grown Doberman is left alone with a toddler, but while the mother’s back is turned, something horrifying happens. The scene beneath her kitchen window horrified Katherine Vichi; the family’s adopted Doberman was attacking her 17-month-old toddler.
Khan was barking, snarling, snapping his jaws at the little girl, and getting too close for comfort. Katherine dropped the dishcloth in the sink and ran outside, praying she could reach them in time.
Three years before, Khan lived in the depth of despair. He belonged to a gang of drug dealers who acquired him because Dobermans had a reputation for being protective and fierce. The men were cruel and violent; every one of them had a hair-trigger temper, and when they lost it, they took it out on Khan. His face had been badly hurt; he’d lost teeth and ended up living with broken ribs on one side for two months. But thankfully, someone came to save him before it was too late.
In a joint action between the Ken police in Australia and the Doberling boarding kennels, Animal Control Officers started cleaning up the area. Dozens of drug dealers were arrested and carried away, and that is how Carrie Kinder, the owner of Doberling, found Khan. The Doberman, an incomparably fearless and vigilant breed, was cowering in a corner. The animal was in a grave condition.
When Carrie first saw him, she was almost unable to identify the breed. It was the worst case of canine abuse she had ever seen. It took Carrie an entire afternoon to win just a little trust with the dog. When he finally allowed her close, she gave him a ball of minced meat with a big dose of anti-anxiety medication hidden inside. This made Khan manageable. He was loaded into the kennel van and carted off.
Khan had no way of knowing this, but his life was about to change completely. He was about to learn that humans could be friendly, loving, and caring creatures. As soon as they pulled up to the local clinic, the vet began his examination of the dog. When he was done, he announced he wanted to do a comprehensive series of x-rays, as he suspected there was a lot more to discover, and he was right.
The x-ray showed broken ribs that had been left to heal on their own. There were also hairline fractures on both front legs, and the dog was missing a few teeth. “He hasn’t had an easy life,” the vet said to Carrie before adding, “You may want to think twice about this one. They’re a fierce breed, and this kind of abuse might have left him with a grudge, you know, a score to settle with humans. I’ve seen it before.” But Carrie was adamant, “I’m taking this one with me,” she told the vet. “If there is one dog on this planet that deserves a good chance at life, it’s this one.”
Khan’s road to recovery was long and arduous, but he immediately started responding to the love and care Carrie gave him. There didn’t seem to be any of the trauma-induced character issues the vet had warned her about. When Khan had been with her for a little more than a year, the Vilic family had strolled through the kennel’s front door. They were looking for a guardian and companion for their daughter, 15-month-old Charlotte. Initially, Carrie had recommended other dogs in the kennel; she was concerned that a proud breed like this Doberman could be a handful for the family. But from the moment they laid eyes on Khan, he was the only dog they wanted.
Little Charlotte waddled over to the giant dog. He dropped down flat on his tummy and licked her hand. He acted like he’d been around kids all his life, and that sealed the deal. That very night, two weeks ago, Khan slept in his new forever home for the first time. And now, he was trying to attack little Charlotte in the backyard.
Catherine came around the corner of the house at full speed. She was just in time to see Khan grip the back of Charlotte’s nappy and hurl her over his back as if she were a ragdoll. But instead of going after her, his attention remained fixed on the pile of old wood where they were playing. Charlotte dashed to pick Charlotte up from where she had fallen; she still had no idea what was happening. Then she heard Khan yelp loudly, and in that instant, she also saw the snake.
She knew immediately what had happened, and her concern was now for the dog as well as her toddler. Khan was facing a king brown snake; local radio stations had been warning about these creatures in the suburbs for a while now, but Katherine never thought she’d encounter one, not in her garden. The snake was around two meters long; it had expanded its body and flattened its neck in a sweeping curve parallel to the ground. It swung its head and neck from side to side and hissed loudly at Khan. The dog danced in front of the snake, sidestepping its rapid-fire strikes.
Catherine could see Khan had already been bitten. She knew that the king brown was highly venomous and felt her blood freeze in her veins. Her priority was now to get little Charlotte to safety and get immediate veterinary care for Khan. “Come on inside, boy,” she shouted. Khan reluctantly followed her to the kitchen steps, glancing over his shoulder at the snake, which was now slithering back into the woodpile.
Once she had closed the door behind them, Catherine placed little Charlotte in a high chair and immediately turned to Khan. The dog was woozy and unsteady on his feet; his eyes were slightly glassy, and his breathing was shallow and rapid. She phoned her husband. Catherine was out of breath but explained as best she could. Khan had been in the backyard playing with little Charlotte. Through the window, it had seemed as if Khan was attacking the baby, but he was really trying to protect her from a king brown snake. Charlotte was safe, but Khan had been bitten, and he was already worse for wear. She urged her husband to rush home so they could get Khan to the vet.
Katherine’s husband carried Khan through the vet’s doors. Almost two hours later, the vet took one look at the dog and shook his head. “The venom has spread throughout his system already,” he told the couple. “I don’t believe its chances of surviving are great, but I’m going to try everything I know to help him.” First up was a giant dose of antivenom, then a dose of antibiotics. The vet then turned back to the couple, “We’ll know more 24 hours from now,” he said. “I’ve got to get him into the back; he has to go onto an intravenous concoction to rehydrate and colloids for hypertension. I’ll monitor him throughout the night.”
This was the second time Khan was knocking at death’s door, and nobody knew if he was coming back again. The dog’s recovery was slow and painful. The vet had been right; the time it took before the antivenom was administered had allowed the toxin to spread through its body. The king brown’s venom had started to break down Khan’s blood cells; his cellular functions had been disrupted, and his muscles had suffered a tremendous impact. He was stiff and found it almost impossible to move. Over and above all of that, the venom was affecting his nerve cells. It didn’t look good, but Khan soldiered on.
On the third day, the vet called the family in, and as gently as he could, he explained to them that he didn’t expect the dog to make it. Khan was in a terrifying amount of pain, and with this kind of prognosis, it may be better to euthanize the dog. But Catherine shook her head. She looked at the vet and said, “Over my dead body. This dog saved my daughter’s life. We’re going to throw everything at getting him well.”
The vet shrugged and said, “I’m glad to hear you say that, but don’t get your hopes up.” And yet, three weeks later, Khan was back at home. He was still weak, and Catherine’s husband had to carry him to his doggy bed in the kitchen.
“Wait,” Catherine said, “I’ll get Charlotte.” But the toddler was way ahead of her; she came into the kitchen at full toddler speed, arms spread wide to keep her waddle from interfering with her balance. Without paying her parents any attention, she plonked herself down next to Khan and started speaking to him in her peculiar toddler language. Khan lifted his head and licked her hand. Catherine could swear she saw the dog give a tired smile. He still was a long way from full recovery, but he would walk it hand in hand with his best friend.
