At the end of May, a 10-year-old Yorkshire Terrier named Spike sacrificed his own life to save that of his beloved human.

Spike did not hesitate to save his favorite person when a deadly cobra appeared in the pair’s South African garden, despite the danger, which unfortunately cost the brave canine his life only thirty minutes later.

Louise Grobler, his human, was on the phone when the snake made its way onto her property. The dog-lover was so preoccupied with her conversation that she didn’t notice the reptile approaching her. Spike, fortunately, jumped in and bit the snake, killing it instantly.

Unfortunately, the canine was pierced by one of the cobra’s lethal fangs during the process, and there was nothing that could be done to save him.

Louise described the tragic event “Spike was a hero, by attacking the poisonous snake he saved my life. I was so close to the snake that I’m pretty sure it could have bitten me if Spike hadn’t jumped up and grabbed it by the neck. As soon as I realized what was going on, I ran next door to get my neighbor’s help, but by the time I returned, Spike had already killed the cobra.”

Shortly after Spike’s death, tragedy struck the family again. Their other family dog, Prinses, was also bitten by a snake and died as a result. After her previous family appeared to have abandoned her, the little dog had been adopted a few months before.

Louise explains “She was only supposed to stay in the family for two weeks, but we loved her too much to let her go. She gave birth to four puppies, which we gave to a dog sanctuary. My family and I buried the dogs in separate but adjacent graves in our front garden the day after they died. When we buried them, Mariska (her daughter) cried so hard that I cried with her.”

Spike and Prinses will never be forgotten by their beloved family, and the heroic gesture by the brave little dog will be remembered by Louise for the rest of her life.