A dog trained to sniff out ordnance for the Army in the Middle East has saved the life of his new owner by distracting a snake.
 
According to The Leaf-Chronicle, 70-year-old Darrell Layne was walking on a friend's farm in Montgomery County when he noticed a venomous copperhead at his feet.
 
Layne was walking July 14 with his dog - a black Labrador retriever named Onex.
 
Layne said Onex saw the snake and crouched down, growling at it. The snake's attention diverted, Layne picked up a fence post and killed the 18-inch-long reptile, but it had struck the dog twice in the face.
 
A veterinarian treated Onex with antivenin and saved the dog's life.
 
Layne said people should care for their pets like they would their best friend.

(Image courtesy Shutterstock)