Mahogany the Corgi is one lucky pup thanks to the help of Snake Man Jason Arnold, who drove two hours to make sure the dog got life-saving anti-venom.
Greytown, South Africa (25 February 2022) – The Snake Man, Jason Arnold, became a Corgi’s hero after he rushed to help deliver anti-venom for a Boomslang bite. We spoke to Jason to learn more about the situation and how he helped save its life.
Mahogany, the Corgi had a run-in with a Boomslang. Unfortunately, Mahogany’s family didn’t realise that the snake that dog had killed, was in fact a highly venomous snake. It looked similar to a non-venomous Spotted Bush Snake but thankfully, a photo helped Jason identify that it was a Boomslang.
A day after Mahogany killed the snake, it became clear that something was wrong. The family rushed the Corgi to the vet and people started calling around for advice. When Jason got the call, he was able to explain to the family that there is an anti-venom made in South Africa that specifically treats Boomslang bites.
Mahogany has started showing signs of internal haemorrhaging so time was of the essence. The family tracked down the anti-venom needed but it was in Durban, nearly two hours away. For any of them to drive to collect it, it would be 4 hours of travel. They called Jason to ask if he could help? Jason agreed, he bought the anti-venom from the hospital and drove to Greytown.
Jason explained that it was the longest two hours of his life knowing that Mahogany was at risk of getting worse by every minute. Thankfully, he got to the vet in time.
The vet administered the anti-venom as soon as Jason arrived and they put Mahogany on overnight watch. Thankfully, things were looking up the next day. Mahogany started showing signs of perking up and even ate breakfast.
Mahogany spent some extra time with the vet so they could make sure there were no clots but the Corgi is now safely back at home and back to normal.
We asked Jason if he has any advice for pet owners and he shared that one should never encourage their dog to attack snakes. Not only is it incredibly dangerous but it is also cruel towards the snake.
“If you do find your pet having a confrontation with a snake, do whatever you need to do, to get the dog away and to safety. The snake will back down and disappear once the threat is gone.”
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Jason is a specialised snake responder and often removes snakes from homes. You can find out more about him via Facebook here.
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