Glastonbury family details dogs’ near-death experience after suffering from rattlesnake bites

When Bob Murray walked deep into his Glastonbury yard to see what his two dogs were barking at last Tuesday, he saw a 5-foot timber rattlesnake coiled in striking position.

Murray used his cane to shoo the dogs away, but he was too late — both dogs were bitten on the face by the rattlesnake, one of two venomous species found in Connecticut.

“I didn’t think about myself, I thought about the dogs,” Murray said.

When they got inside Tanner, a 3-year-old Vizsla, was throwing up and Listo, a miniature pinscher who loves dancing to the Beach Boys, was shaking and spitting blood.

He and his wife, Lynn, knew they had to act fast because about seven years earlier, their late dog, Tor, also a Vizsla, was bit on the foot after stepping on a rattlesnake den in the woods near where they lived.

Tor survived, but they remembered the desperate hunt for a veterinary facility that carried anti-venom and wound up at Tufts Veterinary in Massachusetts.

This time, the Murrays and their dog walker made calls and found out that Pieper Veterinary Emergency Hospital in Middletown carried the anti-venom.

They knew time was of the essence. The dogs were bitten at 1:15 p.m. and they were at the hospital by 2:30 p.m.

“It was a close call,” Bob Murray said. “Listo had about another hour left to live.”

The dogs were in such bad shape that Bob Murray said they were told at the hospital, “Euthanasia is not uncalled for in this instance.”

In the Murrays’ opinion, it was uncalled for, Bob Murray said.

Tanner and Listo suffered severe swelling and were treated with life-saving anti-venom. Tanner needed oxygen as well, and Listo underwent an emergency tracheostomy because his throat was closing. Both dogs were out of the hospital by Saturday but still on medication and continuing to heal on Monday.

“Most people don’t realize there are rattlesnakes in Connecticut,” said Pieper Veterinary spokeswoman Jesse Ferguson. “Dogs and cats usually don’t survive without the anti-venom.”

Bob Murray said the rattlesnake was captured by authorities, checked and put back in the den, as they are on the endangered species list in Connecticut.

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection website states that aside from the timber rattlesnake, the other venomous snake found here is the northern copperhead.

The timber rattlesnake, described as “beautifully patterned” on the DEEP site is listed here as an endangered species that is “extremely rare” in Connecticut.

Connecticut’s rattlesnakes are active from mid-April through October, the DEEP site states. They are found in a handful of Connecticut towns, and Glastonbury is one of them.

Ferguson said people who suspect their animal has been bitten by a venomous snake should call animal hospitals first to see if they carry the anti-venom.

Veterinarian Matthew Turner of the Resuscitation & Critical Care Department at Pieper Veterinary said time is of the essence if they’re bitten.

He said rattlesnakes account for most snakebite-related deaths in both humans and animals.

“The only thing you can do to protect your dogs and cats from rattlesnakes is to stay with them and to stay aware. Dogs and cats will often explore strange sounds, like a rattlesnake, and often that’s what leads to them getting bitten,” he said. “If you hear a rattlesnake, have your pets close and get them away from where you hear it and get them inside if possible.”

Ferguson said rattlesnakes are in Northeastern Litchfield County, the Meshomasic Forest in East Hampton, Glastonbury, Portland and Marlboro.

“They’re endangered but we see enough of them,” she said, noting they see at least one victim per year. “Dogs hear a noise and go after things that move.”

The Murrays have modified their fenced-in yard and their routine with the dogs. Bob Murray said they cut the grass short, had someone install a fine mess snake fence around the base of their fence and will not let the dogs go in the woods.

Instead of sending the dogs out and then checking on them, he will go out ahead of them and let them out if the coast is clear.

A rattlesnake is not looking for trouble and will only attack if they feel threatened, Bob Murray said.

Bob Murray said after Tor’s incident, he and Lynn are so aware of the money issues veterinary costs can create that they established a hefty trust in their will through Tufts Veterinary to help senior citizens pay vet bills. The Murrays said they feel lucky they could afford the $15,000 veterinarian bill. Tor’s bills were $10,000 seven years ago.

“Fortunately, we had the money,” Bob Murray said.

Bob Murray describes the dogs as “wonderful.” He said they train them for competitions, and Lynn does freestyle dancing with Listo — who sometimes dances around a fake palm tree and really rocks the Beach Boys hit, “I Get Around.”