Dog saves child from snake in village near Tbilisi

A husky is recovering in a Tbilisi clinic after protecting a five-year-old child in the holiday retreat village of Tabakhmela near Tbilisi against a venomous snake on Saturday.

Lucky, a family dog spending time in the village with owners, was saved by veterinarians after engaging a Levant viper, widely considered to be the most dangerous snake present on the Georgian territory.

Reacting to the presence of the snake in the yard of the family home, the husky and another dog, called Sani, alerted the family with their barks while Lucky was attacked by the snake as the household's child was also in the garden.

A short video showing Lucky following the recovery throughout the day was shared on social media:

The five-year-old's mother told reporters after reacting to the barking the family saw the dog getting bitten and showing immediate signs of the sting. The child was promptly taken to safety before the dog was also rescued.

A call to a veterinarian, and recommendations from the Animals Monitoring Agency saw the husky taken to a clinic with a severely swollen face and was treated throughout the day.

Vakhtang Lomjaria, the head of the agency operating under the Tbilisi City Hall, told his social media followers the dog's condition was "very difficult" and the staff feared the worst outcome "numerous times during the day" before the husky finally recovered.