‘Numb’: Dog owner’s worst nightmare

Warmer weather has brought about a serious and unexpected threat to dogs in Perth’s south as the snake population booms.

Secret Harbour resident Charis Bee experienced every pet owner’s nightmare on Wednesday when she found her two canoodles Bear and Bonney dead beside the mangled corpse of a baby dugite.

Ms Bee, whose dogs had attacked other dugites in yer yard in the past, told her area’s Facebook group: “Tonight both of my girls were killed by a dugite. Looks like they found and attacked it because it died too. Numb.”

“My family just had the same the day before yesterday. both dogs got bitten, one lost his life and the girl is home and recovering,” one commenter replied.

“Family is absolutely shattered.”

Just metres from Ms Bees home, Morgan Rose also lost a dog to dugites.

Speaking to Perth Now, qualified snake relocator and dog trainer Kel Laurent said owners needed to be more careful.

“The baby ones are feisty, and even though they are small, they can be quite erratic,” he said of the dugites.

Breeding season for dugites normally occurs between early September and late November, with most hatching after roughly 65 days.

“This year has been busy and there’s more coming because the weather and environment has been quite suitable for breeding,” Mr Laurent said.

Like many dog trainers in Perth, Mr Laurent teaches dogs to avoid snakes when they come across them.

“Most dogs are going to go for a snake. That’s just a normal instinctive behaviour … I teach dogs to make life-saving decisions,” he said.