A warm February hike in California became a life-threatening rattlesnake emergency for a golden retriever, and his owner is now urging other dog owners not to assume winter walks are risk-free.
The dog was bitten three times by the snake, resulting in a difficult rescue off a mountain and weeks of intensive veterinary care, Newsweek reported.
What happened?
Nicole Isaacs, a Los Angeles dog owner, had taken her golden retrievers to the same mountain trail many times without trouble. But on Feb. 28, 2024, that familiar hike turned dangerous.
Even though the weather was warm, Isaacs believed they were “still in the clear” because it was winter, and she let her dogs off leash higher up in the mountains.
She described the moment the encounter unfolded, recalling how her golden retriever, Hank, was bitten, telling the outlet that, “I first heard the snake before seeing it; everything happened so quickly.”
Isaacs added, “I sprinted past [my dogs], hoping they’d chase after me so I could grab them and get away. Two of them followed, but Hank stayed with the snake and was struck three times on the nose.”
She has since posted about the ordeal on her TikTok.
According to Isaacs, Hank started vomiting almost right away and then was “immediately paralyzed.” Because she had no cell service and nobody was nearby, she ran down the mountain to find help.
A passerby eventually helped carry the 80-pound Hank out, but it still took more than an hour to reach the road and another two hours to get to a veterinary clinic. Hank needed multiple doses of antivenom and later plasma after failing to improve. His full recovery took weeks.
Why does it matter?
Isaacs’ experience shows how easy it can be to misjudge the dangers of rattlesnakes just because of local weather conditions.
As BBC Future has reported, many wildlife attacks happen as humans and animals increasingly share the same spaces through development and recreation. Hiking trails, expanding neighborhoods, and off-leash pets can all raise the chances of a close encounter with a snake.
For Isaacs, the clearest lesson is not to treat colder months as automatic protection from rattlesnakes.
In her TikTok post about the snake attack, she wrote, “If you live in an area with rattlesnakes, look into getting the rattlesnake vaccine. If your dog gets bit, it prevents the venom from spreading quickly. There are also rattlesnake training programs for your pups so they learn to not approach them. And lastly, keep your dogs on a leash, especially during those warmer months.”
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