Rattlesnake warning: Experts give tips after two dogs bitten by rattlesnakes locally
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — A Poway man is issuing a strong warning about rattlesnakes after his two dogs were recently bitten in the face. According to experts, they’ve been dealing with a high number of rattlesnake encounters over the past few months.
Bodie and Buddy are happy and healthy today, but three weeks ago their faces were swollen after they were both bitten by a rattlesnake in the backyard of their Poway home.
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“We took them as quickly as we could down Poway Road to an emergency vet clinic and they took them in and did what was necessary,” the owner of the dogs, Roger Tucker, told FOX 5/KUSI.
Tucker said the vet treated the dogs with antivenom, which saved their lives, but at a high financial cost. “It was just under $10,000.”
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To make matters worse, Tucker said a snake wrangler told him that the space under his stone patio is a perfect den for rattlesnakes.
Alex Trejo, owner of So-Cal Rattlesnake Removal, installs snake-proof fencing around yards. They also remove rattlesnakes from homes.
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Trejo noted his workers have been very busy the past few months.
“Whenever we get a big influx of rain like we had at the beginning of the year, what ends up happening is after the rain all the snakes get pushed out into other areas that might not have had a big population of snakes. Now, those people start getting snakes that haven’t had snakes in 10 or 20 years,” Trejo said.
Trejo mentioned that people who live near canyons or open fields need to be extra careful around their homes, especially in shady places.
“So what they’ll do is find the nicest area underneath a deck, underneath a BBQ, anything that provides aerial cover, because a snake’s number one predator besides humans is birds. So they like anything low dwelling, underneath trash cans, debris, junk piles,” Trejo said.
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He had this advice.
“Know exactly where you are going to put your hands, put your feet. Make sure your property doesn’t get overgrown with vegetation. That’s a big one. More vegetation means more places for hiding.”
If you need a rattlesnake removed from your property, make sure to hire a professional who will humanely relocate it and not kill it.
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