Snake kills dog on Welsh beach: Distraught owner warns others as she blames venomous reptile for fatal bite on Springer-Cocker Spaniel

A distraught dog owner has warned others to be careful after accusing Britain’s only venomous snake of killing his pet with a fatal bite.

Three weeks ago Jo Bowen-Jones, from Rhosneigr, Anglesey, said she lost her dog when it was bitten by a viper.

The grandmother adopted Baxter, a Springer-Cocker spaniel, after her older dog died of natural causes two years ago.

One of his favorite haunts for walking was the common land adjoining the runway of RAF Valley, to the north of the coastal village. It is also a popular area among plane spotters.

They had crossed a wooden bridge over the Afon Crigyll when their trip came to an abrupt end on March 31.

Baxter was enjoying his usual run around the pastures, as he had done countless times before.

‘He was a real character,’ Jo said. ‘Baxter was a lovely dog ​​who was well known in the village because he was always by my side.

‘He loved going for these walks; We went there four or five times a week. He was a typical spaniel with his nose to the ground and his tail wagging.

‘As I was walking towards the car on a road not far from the bridge, I saw Baxter suddenly stop and raise his front paw. He didn’t shout and came to me after some persuasion. But he had difficulty walking; ‘I had to carry him halfway across the bridge.’

Unable to take her dog home, Jo asked a visiting caravan owner to keep an eye on him while he picked up his car. ‘I was only gone for five minutes,’ he said.

‘But he vomited and pooped while I was away. ‘There wasn’t any swelling but I felt his paw and there was a little mark.’

Going to Bodrwnsiwn Vets in Mona, Jo and the caravan owner loaded Baxter into his station wagon. He arrived at the veterinary clinic 30 minutes after the bite.

‘They carried him on a carpet; “There was no way he could walk,” he said. ‘His breathing was irregular, his abdomen was tense and his eyesight was not good.’

Baxter was given anti-histamines and paracetamol and fluid therapy.

A viper bite was suspected but no anti-venom was administered.

‘It can cause anaphylactic shock and other side effects,’ Jo said. ‘As it was so difficult for Baxter to breathe, it was decided that the antidote was too risky.’

Jo arranged to pick up her beloved dog at 6pm. He intended to take her to Colwyn Bay in Conwy for overnight care. Since June 2024 there has been no such provision for pets on Anglesey.

‘At 5pm I got a call from the vets saying Baxter’s condition was deteriorating,’ he said.

‘His heart had stopped and he was dead when I got there.

‘I knew it was going downhill and I was losing it but it was still a shock. He was a five-year-old, fit and healthy dog. Since it got worse so quickly, I wondered if he had an underlying condition.

‘I can’t blame the vets. They did their best and it was obvious they were very upset. We’re more than 80 percent sure it was the viper bite that killed him.

‘It’s not swollen as it often is but every dog ​​reacts differently. Shortly afterwards I read that a viper had been seen in the same area at about the same time.’

Pictured is a snake, believed to be a viper, at Traeth Cymyran beach near Rhosneigr where the dog was bitten.

Wanting to warn others of the dangers, Jo posted a warning on Facebook. He didn’t mean to alarm people, just inform them.

‘Dog owners often associate vipers with coastal dunes, but this occurred in grasslands,’ he said. ‘They can be found in any open, sunny habitat.

‘They seem to be out early this year. They usually do their best to avoid people and dogs. However, when they come out of hibernation earlier in the year they can be a little sleepy and may not get out of there very quickly, so they need extra care.’

When her old dog died, Jo took time to grieve before adopting Baxter.

Funds were provided for him by Spaniel Aid, a rescue and rehoming charity for spaniels and crossbreed spaniels.

This time he is immediately looking for a replacement. ‘I believe Baxter comes from the Holyhead area,’ he said.

‘It took a while to settle in but once he did he loved it. Since I was only two minutes away from the beach, it was heaven for him, especially since Rhosneigr is dog-friendly.

‘I have already contacted Spaniel Aid. ‘I’ve been a widow for 10 years and I feel so empty without a dog in the house.’

Two days after losing Baxter, Jo received a call from Bodrwnsiwn Vets.

‘They told me they had received an anonymous letter asking why the practice had no antidote in stock,’ he said.

‘This was not the case; It was a clinical decision not to give this to Baxter.

‘The vets also told me they were trying to re-establish night care. If so, it would be great news.

‘A lot of people were very upset when Anglesey lost these supplies because it forced them to go to Colwyn Bay or further afield. When something bad happens, you want something good to come out of it, and hopefully it does.’

Despite the rapid increase in the dog population in the UK, viper bites are still rare and deaths are incredibly rare.

While almost all dogs bitten show symptoms, 95.4 percent reportedly survive with emergency veterinary treatment.

Fatalities usually occur if the bite is left untreated and are more common in smaller dogs.