Kottayam: A dog is man’s best friend, and in the case of Sreekumar PG, a guide dog proved to be his lifesaver, rescuing him from a snakebite.
Sreekumar’s guide dog, Kittu, in a daring attempt bit a cobra that happened to be near its cage.

The incident happened last Sunday, at around 3 pm, when a nearly blind Sreekumar went to untie Kittu. He heard a rustling from his left side which he dismissed to be a rat, but as the rustling continued, the watchful Kittu jumped towards the cobra that had already had its fangs out, and bit the snake to death. Sreekumar works as a pump operator for the Chirakadavu panchayat.

A constant companion of Sreekumar, the dog was gifted to him by his daughter. Sreekumar was affected by blindness, owing to nerve damage. Around 20 years ago, Sreekumar began experiencing difficulty in seeing objects clearly. Although surgical interventions had been sought, his right eye became blind making him reliant on Kittu and the diminishing sight of his left eye.
Sreekumar said that Kittu is a cross between a Daschund and a local breed.