Oreo's fight against the Rattlesnake

Oreo is a sweet, curious, slightly chaotic 4-year-old mix breed dog. This weekend, we went to our family cabin, and for the first time in her life, she got to explore the woods and meet new creatures to play with, like tiny frogs and salamanders. On a walk down the lane with our two daughters (Kendall and Cora), they encountered a rattlesnake. Kendall heard the snake hiss as Oreo stepped between the girls and the snake. We didn't know it then, but as Kendall was pulling Oreo's leash back to get her away from the snake, it was in the process of striking her.

These two managed to save each other in a way as Oreo protected the girls from getting bit, but by having her leash pulled on at the same time, the snake was only able to fully puncture her with one tooth, leaving the second only to graze her skin.

Within an hour, we noticed her becoming lethargic and assumed she was exhausted from all our adventures earlier that day, so we took her inside to lay down and relax. That's when we noticed the lump on her chest. When her dad went to check it out, we saw the bloody puncture wound, which she quickly relayed she did NOT like us touching. Unfortunately, we were north of Shippensburg, PA, without cell service, so we put her in the truck and drove back to Harrisburg, PA, to be seen by the staff at Shores Emergency Veterinary Center.

By this time, the lump on her chest had tripled in size. They confirmed it was a rattlesnake bite and presented their action plan, which included administering anti-venom and keeping her on a 48-hour watch. The estimated cost was upwards of $6,500 and required a 50% deposit to start the medication. Her initial bloodwork showed that she was strong and fighting with everything she had to beat the toxicity that was trying to overtake her.

The decision to help her fight to stay alive is a huge burden to bear financially, but after having to put her sister down only a few weeks ago due to cancer, losing her would have devastated our family. Therefore, we humbly ask for donations to help with Oreo's emergency care costs.