We’re coming to the end of “Adopt a Shelter Dog Month.” I hope all who wanted to celebrate/partake were able to! Technically I got things started at the tail end of September when I rescued My Guy, but I like to think of it as this way we got to honor the spirit of the month together in its entirety. Kacey Musgraves is feeling grateful right now for her rescue pup Pepper, whom she adopted in 2020. Kacey was out walking barefoot with Pepper and some human friends, when Pepper nobly protected her bare-pawed person from a rattlesnake bite — by taking the bite herself instead. But don’t worry, Pepper survived the fracas! Mama Kacey put some shoes on and whisked Pepper to the vet where she was treated with antivenom and pain meds. I’d say this feat of derring-do by a daring dog merits a song! “The Ballad of Pepper Musgraves” sounds like a good, country tune.
Kacey Musgraves would have been in big trouble if not for her trusty dog, Pepper.
The singer-songwriter revealed in a series of Instagram Story posts that her Australian cattle dog “honestly saved me” from stepping on a rattlesnake while barefoot on a recent walk with two friends, though the poor pup suffered a snakebite in the process.
“Copperhead: 1, Pepper: 0,” Musgraves joked, correcting her identification to that of a timber rattlesnake in a follow-up post.
“Got her to the vet quick” for a dose of antivenom, Musgraves wrote over a series of photos and videos depicting Pepper getting an IV. “The bite made her lethargic. Those who have Blue Heelers know they ain’t ever this calm.”
A crop of stories posted Monday confirmed that Pepper was “home and sleeping a lot / on pain meds and getting lots of love.”
The “Slow Burn” singer proceeded to share a series of photos depicting the dog snuggling in bed with a clear red mark on her snout where the rattlesnake struck. “This is wild but the vet was showing me how the inside of her mouth and all down her neck is so bruised from that damn snakebite,” Musgraves wrote over a photo of Pepper’s lip being pulled back to reveal a gnarly segment of discolored skin.
Musgraves added, “Thank god for good dogs.”
Yes, thank dog for our blessed floofs! Kacey didn’t say where this snake showdown took place, but she was barefoot and she does live in a cottage in the woods, so I’m guessing close to home? Another reason why I would not want to live in a cottage in the woods! (Limited food delivery is still reason #1.) Maybe no more barefoot walks, for the pooch’s sake? Cause Kacey’s description of Pepper’s bite sounded downright gruesome! So far on our city walks, My Guy has reliably defended me fiercely against any and all other dogs we encounter. These other dogs are usually quiet and range from friendly to completely indifferent, but he growls on my behalf just the same! He also likewise growls against… inanimate statues, of which there are many varieties now during Halloween decoration season. And something tells me if he came up against a snake, well, his bark would be bigger than his bite. Look, we can’t all be geniuses!
Photos via Instagram/Kacey Musgraves