A Polk Co. family is on edge after they say a rattlesnake bit their pit bull in the face.
Shannon Pitts found Karma out in her yard Tuesday morning and noticed something was wrong.
"I just happened to glance at her," said Pitts, "and saw that her face was so swollen."
A neighbor told her he'd spotted a rattlesnake in the area a week before which quickly prompted her to take her to the Garden Grove Animal Hospital.
Dr. Todd Beatty pulled out a small fang he says most likely came from a rattlesnake.
"In the spring and the summer is usually when we see it," he said.
A snake trapper was called to the home off Kinney Rd. to search for the snake, but so far has not been able to locate it.
He says the area which is hot, sandy and full of palms, is prone to rattlesnakes.
"It's scary," said Pitts, "just to know that it's still on the loose in our yard out there."
She's especially concerned because she has young children and there are other animals and homes nearby.
Dr. Beatty was able to give Karma antivenom, which costs around $450 a dose.
Staff at the hospital have already received donations in Karma's name.
The family set up a GoFundMe account as well.
David Lueck, known as the Trapper Guy says while rattlesnakes are always a danger in Florida, the warmer weather can make them more active and aggressive.
