CANADA NEWSWIRE 03 May 04 Quebec cat honoured for protecting owner from deadly snake
Montreal: A cat from Quebec was one of four remarkable animals honoured today for bravery, intelligence and loyalty in saving human life.
SOSA, owned by Kimberley Kotar of Dorval, Quebec, was inducted into the
Purina Animal Hall of Fame. The only recognition program of its kind in Canada, this is the 36th year of the awards.
On July 27 last year, Kimberley was in her garden when, suddenly, she was
confronted by a snake. Only inches away, hissing and shaking its tail, the viper was ready to strike. Sosa immediately interceded - lashing out at the snake and protecting Kimberley, but being bitten in the paw as a result.
Later identified as an Eastern Cottonmouth, the highly poisonous snake is
not native to Quebec. Had Kimberley been bitten, it might have been fatal because there is no ready supply of anti-venom serum in the province. Amazingly, Sosa pulled through after three days in an animal hospital. No one knows how the viper came to be in the garden.
The other inductees this year included a police service dog from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, a cat in Calgary, Alberta, and a dog from near Smiths Falls, Ontario.
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"The animals we honour today have demonstrated remarkable courage, intelligence and loyalty," said Mary Siemiesz, director of marketing at Nestlé Purina PetCare. "Their stories of bravery stand out from the more than one hundred cases we reviewed across Canada. They are true heroes, and a testament to the extraordinary bond that exists between humans and their special pets."
The Purina Animal Hall of Fame has now inducted a total of 122 animals -
100 dogs, 21 cats and one horse - over its 36 years of national recognition. For past winners, go to Purina's website at www.purina.ca and click on Hall of Fame.
Quebec cat honoured for protecting owner from deadly snake