Corgi recovering after rattlesnake bite in Santa Ynez Valley

Phoenix the corgi is a big part of the Pruitt family.

“She was our first dog ever – we were begging for a dog for a long time.,” Justin Pruitt. “We finally got her. She’s the best dog ever – just need to make that clear.”

The Pruitt’s say Monday morning was just a normal day.

“It’s very typical for us to just open the door and let her go out in the morning,” Leslie Pruitt, phoenix’s owner. “She’s very smart and stays close to the house.”

Leslie says their dog kept paying close attention to the agave plants.

“She ran out there, she circled for a little bit…. I lured her back inside, she ate her breakfast. We were in a little bit of a rush so we didn’t really notice anything – we didn’t hear a yelp, we didn’t hear a rattle,” said Leslie.

Leslie says it wasn’t until their housekeeper came that they knew something was wrong.

Pictures show Phoenix’s face and neck swollen with two fang marks on her snout.

“Sure enough the vet confirmed she’d been bitten by a rattlesnake. By the time we got home, her face was swollen, the neck was swollen – she could hardly move. So it was a shock that that just happened right outside the door because she commonly has run of the property.”

The Pruitt family says they plan on keeping a more watchful eye on Phoenix when she goes outside.

“That’s the shock in it – things happen quickly and they don’t always happen the way you think they’re going to.. So just be more watchful. There’s a lot of wildlife in this valley that plays by its own rules I guess.”

Phoenix is expected to make a full recovery.

For tips on what to do to protect your pets and family from rattlesnakes, click here.