Several dogs bitten by rattlesnakes in Colorado's Westminster Hills Open Space as heat wave continues

According to NOAA, July was the hottest month ever recorded in the history of the U.S. Colorado experienced more than a dozen days over 90 degrees, and the hot temperatures are impacting the way people spend time outdoors. 

That hot weather is contributing to an increase in the number of rattlesnakes spotted in popular open spaces. 

For nature lovers and dog parents, Westminster Hills Open Space is a unique place, offering more than 3,000 acres of land, trails and grasslands.

"That's part of what makes this space so special, is that it is a natural area," said Vrin Hennessey, a Westminster Park Ranger. "It's not this little closed-in kind of gravelly area."

With it being a natural area, however, comes the potential to run into some of the area's wildlife, including rattlesnakes.

"It is a scary thing. It does kind of make you think twice about, 'Do I want to bring my dog here today?'" said Natalie Ericson.

Over the weekend, three dogs were reportedly bitten by a rattlesnake inside the open space. Ericson was walking her two pitbulls inside the open space on Sunday when one of those incidents occurred.

"I was looking up where the closest emergency vet was [and] trying to help him just figure out how to move his dog," said Ericson.

'What it comes down to is we did have a very dry winter, and so these snakes are out there looking for water. They're just trying to survive like everybody else," said Rachel Medley, Hospital Manager with Church Ranch Veterinary Center. "They're going to be bolder and they're going to be more out there."

Medley says they have seen roughly eight dogs at their veterinary center this year for rattlesnake bites, most of which were dogs who were using the open space.

However, she says these incidents can be prevalent anywhere where there could be a rattlesnake habitat.

"Bites in the face and front legs are more concerning because those are defensive bites. That means the rattlesnake felt threatened. The dog was face to face with it, and so it's going to release more venom into that bite," she said.

One pet parent shared photos of her dog, Tucker, who was one of the dogs that was bitten over the weekend. He was successfully treated for the bite at Church Ranch.

"It's a good idea to call that facility and ask them, 'Do you have rattlesnake antivenom?'" said Medley. "You've got about 30 minutes to get somewhere where we have an IV catheter put in, and we're giving those life-saving medications. So, you don't want to pop around to all the clinics and go in and ask and then have to go somewhere else."

As more people and pets take advantage of open spaces like Westminster Hills Open Space, Medley recommends keeping your pets close and out of the brush as much as possible.

"Staying in short grass and on the trails is the safest thing. So, throwing the ball or the stick out into the long grass is where you're going to get into more trouble," she said.

It's also important to be mindful of the weather and how that could impact the presence of rattlesnakes in your path.

"Seventy to 90 degrees is the temperature they're most active. Above 90 degrees, you also want to watch out in the brush area, because again they're trying to hide away from the sun," said Hennessey.

"Just where you can see them and kind of keep a close eye on them because you just don't know what's out there," said Ericson.

If you or your pet is bitten by a rattlesnake, it is important not to try to remove the venom and remain calm, so that the venom does not spread through the body rapidly.

"Just keep in mind, we are here in a state where wildlife and interaction with wildlife is a good thing. We don't want to portray that as a bad thing. Venomous snakes do have a really important place in the ecosystem, and so we don't want to vilify that or look at that as a bad thing. We just want to figure out how we can safely coexist with them and know where we can get treatment if there is a negative interaction," said Medley.