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<body> <p>This page uses frames, but your browser doesn't support them.</p> <table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" bordercolor="#111111" width="100%" id="AutoNumber29"> <tr> <td width="100%"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="751"> <tr> <td valign="top"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="627"> <tr> <td rowspan="3" bgcolor="#6699cc" width="5"> <img src="http://www.sptimes.com/INCLUDE/storysectiontemps/images/page_11.gif" alt=" " width="5" height="26"></td> <td colspan="4" valign="top" width="512"> <img src="http://www.sptimes.com/INCLUDE/storysectiontemps/images/lbase_24.gif" alt border="0" width="512" height="7"></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="4" width="512"> <img src="http://www.sptimes.com/INCLUDE/storysectiontemps/images/lbase_27.gif" alt border="0" width="512" height="19"></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="8"> <img src="http://www.sptimes.com/INCLUDE/storysectiontemps/images/page_25.gif" alt border="0" height="20" width="8"></td> <td bgcolor="white" width="15"> <img src="http://www.sptimes.com/INCLUDE/storysectiontemps/images/page_26.gif" alt=" " height="30" width="15"></td> <td bgcolor="white" valign="top" width="475">  <script language="JavaScript">  </script> <noedit></noedit> <h2>Boxer twice bitten by snake, but unbowed</h2> <blockquote> <h4>After $2,400 in vet bills, the family pet has recovered from two venomous strikes and receives a hero's treatment at an animal clinic.</h4> </blockquote> <p>By TERRI BRYCE REEVES<br> Published August 2, 2005</p> <hr noshade="noshade" size="1"> <p>PALM HARBOR - The old adage "once bitten, twice shy" doesn't apply to Rusty, a 4-year-old boxer.</p> <p>Twice in a three-week period, the 60-pound bodyguard defended her family from a poisonous snake in the family's back yard. Twice she was bitten and survived.</p> <p>The snake, a water moccasin, was not so lucky. Rusty killed it during the second encounter.</p> <p>On Saturday, Animal Emergency of Countryside, 30606 U.S. 19 N in Palm Harbor, honored Rusty for her bravery and protection. The facility provides emergency services for pets nights, weekends and holidays.</p> <p>Rusty, now bearing a small scar under her right eye, was surrounded by family and friends as she received a plaque and a basket full of squeaky toys.</p> <p>Rusty had no comment, but "she was wagging her little nub tail and rolled over to get her tummy scratched," said her owner, Winna Morrin, 33. "She knew she was a celebrity."</p> <p>Dr. Jean McKnight, a veterinarian and owner of the clinic, said they decided to honor Rusty because they considered her actions truly heroic.</p> <p>"She was bitten once and then went back for more," McKnight said. "She has no fear."</p> <p>McKnight said the clinic sees about 20 snakebite injuries a year.</p> <p>A new vaccine has just come on the market; however, McKnight said she was unsure about its effectiveness.</p> <p>"Those people who are concerned about snakebites and live near ponds, lakes or conservation areas may want to ask their vets about it," she said. "It may also be beneficial for those with dogs that hunt, or go along on camping and hiking trips."</p> <p>Water moccasins, or cottonmouths, are aquatic animals, but sometimes roam onto land during the rainy season, McKnight said.</p> <p>The Morrin family lives in a neighborhood called the Groves, about a half-mile from Lake Tarpon. Their fenced back yard has a few trees, but no ponds or heavy shrubbery.</p> <p>Both of Rusty's encounters happened on Sunday afternoons, about 2 p.m.</p> <p>The first was on April 10 during a small family reunion when children were in the backyard pool.</p> <p>There were no witnesses, but Rusty began acting strangely. She stumbled as she walked and when she came inside, hid under the bed. Within a few minutes, blood began oozing out of her nose, her eyes swelled shut, and her head ballooned to the size of a basketball, Morrin said.</p> <p>The family rushed Rusty to the emergency clinic, where she received a $400 vial of antivenin as well as antibiotics and painkillers. </p> <p>The next day she was transferred to the Country Oaks Animal Hospital in Palm Harbor, where she remained until the swelling subsided and she could begin eating again.</p> <p>After that, Morrin and her husband, Dave, 32, spread snake repellent in the yard in hopes of staving off the danger. </p> <p>Three weeks later, however, trouble struck again when sons David, 7, and Matthew, 4, were playing in the back yard with a friend. The Morrins' third son, Alex, 2, was inside.</p> <p>"I heard them screaming bloody murder," Morrin said. She ran out to find that Hercules, the family's beagle mix, and Rusty were circling and barking at a large water moccasin in the middle of the yard. The children stood nearby, watching.</p> <p>"It was a monster," Morrin said. The snake was as big around as a baseball bat and about 4 feet long. She described it as brownish-colored with a large mouth that was white inside.</p> <p>The snake struck at Rusty. The dog refused to come inside until all the children were back in the house, Morrin said.</p> <p>Rusty grabbed the snake and was shaking it like a rag doll. A neighbor identified the dead snake as a water moccasin. The family thinks the snake may be the same one that bit Rusty previously, but no one is certain.</p> <p>"There was blood all over, it was a mess," Morrin said. "I thought: Oh no, we're going to have to go through this whole thing again."</p> <p>Again, the family rushed Rusty to Animal Emergency of Countryside for another vial of antivenin and treatment. Rusty once again received followup care from her vet. </p> <p>About $2,400 in vet bills later, Rusty appears to be doing fine, said Morrin, who has since had the back yard inspected by a wildlife specialist to make sure the snake didn't leave behind youngsters or other buddies.</p> <p>In the meantime, the two family dogs are dealing with the episode in their own ways.</p> <p>"Rusty continues to patrol the perimeter of the back yard," Morrin said. "And Hercules always pees in the place where the snake died."</p> <p><span class="precede">[Last modified August 2, 2005, 03:00:22]</span><br>  </p> <li><center><center>  <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tr> <td> <form action="http://www.sptimes.com/cgi-bin/redirect.pl" method="post"> <div align="center">  </div> </form> </td> </tr> </table>  </center></center> <center><font size="2"> <table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="2" frame width="350"> <tr> <td valign="top"> </td> </tr> </table> </font></center></li> </td> <td bgcolor="white" valign="top" width="14"> <img src="http://www.sptimes.com/INCLUDE/storysectiontemps/images/page_26.gif" alt=" " height="20" width="14"></td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table>  <script type='text/javascript' src='https://count.carrierzone.com/app/count_server/count.js'></script> <script type='text/javascript'> </script>  </body>