A FAMILY has been left heartbroken after their beloved dog was killed by a venomous snake.
Jo Bowen-Jones was out with her Springer-Cocker spaniel, Baxter, when he suddenly stopped running and lifted his paw three weeks ago in North Wales.
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A family has been left heartbroken after their beloved dog was killed by a venomous snake Credit: WNS
Baxter was bitten while on a walk in North Wales Credit: Daily Post
A snake, believed to be an adder, on Traeth Cymyran beach near Rhosneigr where Baxter was bitten Credit: WNS
The grandmother had taken five-year-old Baxter for their usual walk in the grasslands north of Rhosneigr, a coastal village in Anglesey, when disaster struck.
Her beloved pet had been bitten by what she later believed to be an adder and he quickly deteriorated.
Jo said her beloved Baxter was a “real character” who was “well known in the village because he was always at my side”.
She said: “He loved going for this walk – we went there, four or five times a week. He was a typical Spaniel, nose to the ground, tail wagging.”
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“I was on a track heading back to the car, not too far from the bridge, when I saw Baxter suddenly stop and lift his front paw,” Jo recalled.
“He didn’t yelp and after some coaxing he came to me. But he was struggling to walk – I had to half carry him over the bridge.”
Jo left him with a caravan owner while she fetched her car before she rushed him to receive medical attention.
She said: “I was only gone five minutes but in the time I’d been away, he’d vomited and pooed himself. There wasn’t any swelling but I felt his paw and there was a tiny mark.”
Baxter was carried into the vets on a rug and was quickly treated with anti-histamines, paracetamol and put on a hydration drip.
Jo said: “His breathing was ragged, his tummy was taut and his eyes were not good.
“It can cause anaphylactic shock and other side effects. As Baxter’s breathing was so laboured, it was decided anti-venom was too risky.”
After returning home, Jo was due to collect Baxter at 6pm to take him to another vets for an overnight stay.
But instead, she received a devastating call.
“I got a phone call from the vets at 5pm to say Baxter had taken a turn for the worse,” she said.
“His heart had stopped and, by the time I got there, he had died.
“I knew he was going downhill and I was losing him but it was still a shock. He was a fit and healthy five-year-old dog. As he had deteriorated so quickly, it made me wonder if he’d had an underlying condition.
“I can’t fault the vets. They did their best and there were very clearly very upset.”
Jo said they were “80 per cent” sure it was an adder bite that had killed Baxter.
“He didn’t swell, as often happens, but every dog reacts differently. Soon after I read an adder had been seen in the same area around the same time,” she added.
After her heartbreaking ordeal, she is now warning other dog owners as the bite happened on grassland rather than sand dunes which are often frequented by the snakes.
Jo said: “This year they seem to have come out early. Usually they will do their best to avoid people and dogs.
“But early in the year, as they emerge from hibernation, they can a little drowsy and might not be so quick to get away, so extra care is needed.”
Jo told North Wales Live that she had adopted Baxter after a period of grieving when her old dog passed away – but now she’s looking for a furry friend again straight away.
“I’ve been in touch with Spaniel Aid already. I’ve been widowed 10 years and without a dog in the house it feels very empty.”
Jo said Baxter was a ‘real character’ Credit: Daily Post
