Kay Bond said she was doing some work at home when she heard a loud racket.

She went into the hall and saw her American Staffordshire Terrier, Mocha, wrestling something on the ground.

Ms Bond thought it may have been a lizard, but when she yelled at the dog to stop it dropped a metre-long brown snake on the ground.

Mocha had killed the snake, so Ms Bond and some family members examined her from head to foot to see if she had been bitten.

They could not seen any visible snake bites. Later Mocha began to fit and vomit.

The family rushed the nine-year-old dog to the vet, but due to existing health complaints they decided it was not viable to try and save her.

Ms Bond said she believed Mocha knew the snake wasn’t supposed to be there and was trying to protect her owner from the deadly reptile.

Ms Bond adopted Mocha from Dog Rescue Newcastle about three years ago.

She said Mocha had been used for breeding before she owned her, which had led to health complications including pancreatitis.

The health complications didn’t stop the staffy from being a loving companion.

“She was an amazing dog considering the life she had,” Ms Bond said.

Ms Bond said she had owned dogs all of her life, but had never met one like Mocha.

She said when she would take Mocha for a walk, everyone would stop and pat the lovable canine.

“She loved everybody,” she said. “I’d never seen a dog like her.”

The dog’s former foster carer Jackie Keane agreed that Mocha was a beautiful girl.

“She was the nicest dog you’d wish to have,” Ms Keane said.

Ms Keane said she wasn’t surprised to hear Mocha had attacked the snake to defend Ms Bond.

“She was very protective, very loyal,” Ms Keane said.

While Ms Bond said she was devastated to lose her beloved friend, she knew she had given Mocha a good life.

“Someone said to me ‘you saved her life, then she saved yours’,” Ms Bond said.