MONROVIA – A family dog is being hailed as a hero after reportedly stepping between a teenage boy and a rattlesnake last week, and taking a venomous bite in the process.

Fourteen-year-old Daniel Whitman was with loyal Siberian husky mix “Boone” at his family’s Norumbega Drive home last week when the pet suddenly noticed something and rushed over to him, his father, Dan Whitman, told the Monrovia Patch.

That’s when the son saw that Boone had gotten in between himself and a rattlesnake lying in the yard, the father said.

A short time after the incident, the family noticed that Boone was in pain and realized he had been bitten by the venomous snake, the Patch reported.

Boone was rushed to an area veterinary clinic where he received anti-venom treatment. The rattlesnake bite cause a large wound to open on the dog’s face, however he is reportedly expected to recover.

“I’m sad that Boone took the bite but I’m thankful my son didn’t,” Dan Whitman told the Patch.