THE MAIN focus for anybody home sick is to get better, but for Katie Donno it was the large brown snake hiding behind her couch that took all the attention.
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Living in the semi-rural Wentworth Estate on the outskirts of Bathurst, and with the new Windy 1100 subdivision going in at Windradyne, Ms Donno expected to see more snakes.
But certainly not in her lounge room.
Finding the snake
Ms Donno was in her bedroom when she heard her maltese shih tzu barking very aggressively in the lounge room.
Normally a dog that's very placid by nature, Ms Donno knew something wasn't right, so she went to investigate.
"I heard my dog start barking, and she barks to alert us if someone's at the door ... but it was a really aggressive, vicious bark," she said.
"So before I even got to the front door I thought this isn't a guest.
"The last time she barked like that was when we had a red belly trying to get through our cat door. So I knew before I even saw the snake that it was probably a snake."
Ms Donno noticed her dog Sassy trying to get behind the lounge, so she stood up on it and peered over to find an angry brown snake coiled up in the corner.
She immediately locked her dog in the bedroom, called her husband and then took to Facebook to try and find a snake catcher.
And in a lucky turn of events, snake catcher Stef Lesser - who had moved away from Bathurst at the end of 2023 but was back in town for a job interview - saw the post and responded immediately.
"Within like five minutes Stef the snake catcher messaged me and she was here so quickly," Ms Donno said.
"She caught the snake and took it. She said it was quite angry trying to get at her through the bag."
Ms Donno couldn't thank Ms Lesser enough, and is delighted to hear that she is moving back to Bathurst - especially if she has any other snake encounters in the future.
"She's a very reliable, honest person," Ms Donno said.
With the snake safely removed, and her dog cleared by the vet of any bites, it was a good outcome for Ms Donno.
And her quick response to the situation is a big part of that outcome, snake catcher Stef Lesser said.
What to do if you find a snake in your home
As difficult as it may seem, Ms Lesser said keeping calm is very important on the odd chance someone finds a snake in their home.
Take any animals and children to a different room and ideally try to keep the snake isolated - depending on what room of the house it's in - and keep an eye on it from a safe distance.
Then try and contact a professional to remove the snake.
It's never a good idea to do it yourself.
"Calling a snake catcher straight away is a great idea," Ms Lesser said.
"Unfortunately most of us do work full-time so being able to keep an eye on the snake or having it trapped in a room is fantastic, as we can locate it straight away.
"Trying to kill the snake is not only illegal, but dangerous, and trying to relocate it yourself could end in a hospital trip."
Ms Lesser said having a snake bite kit in your home - especially people who live in rural areas - is always a great idea.
This way, if a snake bite occurs, pressure bandages can be applied straight away before going to hospital.
And if you think your pet has been bitten, take them to the vet as soon as possible.
