Dog 1, Rattlesnake 0: San Juan Capistrano Pet Survives Snakebite

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA — No one was home when this puppy was bitten in the neighborhood of La Novia and Cerro Rebal.

"A snake came into our yard and bit our puppy, Fred, on Saturday night. Right in our yard!" owner Bethany Minsberg said. The family returned at approximately 8 p.m. to discover their 14-year-old family dog standing outside, hovering over his water bowl.

"Fred was completely disoriented," Minsberg said. "His face and neck was ridiculously swollen. My husband thought maybe he'd been stung by a swarm of bees."

Having a snake in their yard was the furthest thing from the Minsberg family's mind as they drove their ailing puppy to the emergency veterinarian with the mystery ailment.

"Once the vet shaved his face and neck, they found the bite marks right on top of his nose," she said. "(The snake bite) must have happened shortly before my husband found our dog, otherwise I don't think our puppy would have survived."

Minsberg expressed her thanks to the Veterinary Medical and Surgical Group of San Juan Capistrano, for helping their ailing puppy make a full recovery.

"The VMSG in San Juan Capistrano staff was amazing and saved his life," she said. "He is a little better every day."

In a warning to her San Juan Capistrano neighbors, Minsberg wanted to share their experience in hopes that others might avoid their plight.

"It's getting to be late summer, and from what we've learned, this is the time of year the rattlesnake babies are born, and as we now know, those are the most likely to strike. I wanted to tell others out there to be extra alert for rattlesnakes."

By Friday, Fred continues to be on the mend.

"He's doing great," Minsberg said. "We just had a follow up appointment and all is well. The Vet was very surprised. She said the location of the bite is usually deadly, especially for a smaller dog."

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Photos, courtesy of Bethany Minsberg