Heroes come in all shapes, sizes and ages, as an 80-year-old woman from NSW’s Lennox Heads proved this week by bravely taking on a carpet snake in front of her daughter to save their puppy. AKA: just another day in Straya.
In a post to the Australian Country Memes Facebook group, local woman Anne Murphy shared the tale of how her “bloody amazing” mum went toe-to-toe with a carpet snake that was fighting her pet dog.
According to Anne, at around 6:30PM on Monday night, her mother heard her new little dog “screaming” and went out to investigate.
What she found was her pet puppy completely wrapped up by a carpet snake.
Carpet snakes — also known as carpet pythons — are a non-venomous species of snake common in coastal NSW, that come in a variety of colours and sizes, growing to as long as four metres.
Thank LORDY for them being non-venomous, as the intruding snake had bitten the puppy once below its chin.
But that wasn’t stopping out 80-year-old hero.
As her daughter reports, she didn’t hesitate to save the pup and got right in there to separate the two animals with no fear for damage to herself.
“Mum got bitten three times getting the snake off her pup,” wrote Anne to the Facebook community.
After settling the scuffle between the snake and the puppy, rather than ending the dispute with further violence as some instinctively might do, Anne reported that her mum then went into the backyard where the snake was hiding, and caught it so they could take it “out bush” where it cannot harm anyone.
No harm to the creature that attacked her dog and bit her three times? Steve Irwin would be proud.
Australian of the Year for 2024 may have just been awarded, but surely this act of kindness to the creature that hurt her puts Anne’s mother high in the running for next year’s title.
She then took her puppy to the vet, and got home three hours after the incident first happened.
The post has since received over 2K likes and 300 comments, hailing the 80 Y.O as a “legend“, “gutsy” and a “wonderful woman.”
All in a day’s work for a true blue Aussie hero.
It is advised not to engage with a snake that has attacked a pet of yours if you are unsure the species of snake.
RSPCA’s guide on what to do if your pet is bitten by a snake says the most important first aid measure is to go to a vet.
For instructions on what to do if a person is bit by a snake see Red Cross Australia’s guide here.
