Heroic postal worker saves dog’s life after venomous snake bite

Ginger the beagle was rushed to Georgia vet in the back of a post worker’s van after being bitten by copperhead

A postal worker’s delivery round took a dramatic turn when she rushed a snake-bitten dog to the vet in the back of her van.

Holle Keene Prigmore was on her postal round in Buchana, Georgia when at one residence she came across a beagle named Ginger who seemed in a large amount of pain.

Ginger had been bitten by a copperhead snake and was limping around in obvious pain.

"As I saw her, I went ahead and grabbed a treat…I realised something was moving, it snapped at her…(and) sure enough, it was a snake," Ms Prigmore retold told Fox 5. 

Ginger’s owners, Kelsey and Aaron Proctor, were not home at the time but Ms Prigmore said she couldn’t leave the dog who seemed in agony.

Ms Prigmore scooped the suffering pup into the back of her postal van and took a picture of the snake that bit Ginger to show the vets, 11Alive reported.

“I just knew she might be fine, but she’s a small dog and I couldn’t stand the idea of her maybe just suffering throughout the day if nobody was home,” she told Fox 5.

Before heading over to Bremen Animal Hospital, she stopped to let the owners know what was going on, displaying a message on her phone that read, ‘Little beagle bit by copperhead.’

After Ms Prigmore dropped Ginger off at the hospital, the bitten pup was treated and brought home.

Ginger is now doing okay says her owner Kelsey Proctor (Kelsey Proctor/Facebook)

“I want to thank her from the bottom of my heart. Thankfully, Ginger is going to be okay, and I truly believe it’s because of this woman,” Ms Proctor said in a Facebook post trying to locate her postal hero.

She finally discovered Ms Prigmore’s name and was able to thank her in person.

“I think that just speaks about her and her character that she was just so willing to jump in and help out and she didn’t even know anything about us or who we were,” Ms Proctor told Fox.

In an update shared by Ms Proctor she said that the brave pup was “doing well. She is in pain. Her back left leg/paw is swollen and she is afraid to put pressure on it. She has been resting, getting lots of love, and under some blankies.”

The doorbell video has gone viral and Ms Prigmore has had an outpour of heartfelt messages come her way

"I’m not interested in compensation. Anybody in my industry would have done the same thing," Ms Prigmore said to Fox Business. "That’s why we have so many friends on our routes as it is, but we’re used to it. It’s just kinda part of the job."

Ms Prigmore has been delivering mail since February 2022 and has three pets of her own.

"The Postal Service is part of the fabric of the nation with employees making a difference in every community across the country. We are very proud of Holle Prigmore and her quick action which saved the life of a customer’s beloved pet," a USPS spokeswoman said in a statement to Fox.

Ms Prigmore’s heroic efforts have allowed Ginger to bounce around a lot longer after her favourite postie, as copperhead snakes, while less of a threat to humans, can make dogs very ill.

A copperhead snake is venomous and can cause tissue damage in the area around the bite, says Ethos.

The American Kennel Club recommends taking pets to the vet immediately after being bitten.