IT COULD have been a doggone disaster but Stella the Jack Russell was in luck after a red-bellied black snake became wrapped in her collar.

The dire situation unravelled on Sunday when Chirnside Park resident Markus Gaebele noticed Stella — his in-laws’ pup — acting strangely in the garden.

“I thought: ‘What on earth is that around her neck?’” Mr Gaebele said.

media_camera Jack Russell Stella is lucky to be alive after a snake became stuck in her collar in Chirnside Park. Picture: Supplied media_camera Her family managed to get Stella to the vet’s before the toxins from the snake’s bite broke through. Picture: Supplied

“It was a black snake through the council tag and we wondered if it was one of the kids’ toys.”

After he realised the snake was no fake, the father-of-three grabbed a pizza paddle and tried to hook the snake out of the one-year-old pup’s collar.

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When the paddle broke, Mr Gaebele opted for a shovel instead.

With his wife Kate carefully coaxing the frightened pup, Mr Gaebele said he grabbed the collar with the shovel, which released Stella from the writhing reptile.

media_camera Markus Gaebele got the snake away from the dog with a shovel. Picture: Supplied

“Stella didn’t look affected (by the venom) but when we saw her trying to get away from the snake, she was hobbling around on three legs,” he said.

The couple quickly called the North Croydon Vet Clinic, which had antivenene on hand.

Stella was treated immediately at the clinic. The Gaebeles then took her to the Animal Emergency Centre in Mt Waverely for monitoring overnight.

Mr Gaebele said despite being wary of the reptiles and trying to keep the grass short on his 1.6 ha property, he had seen snakes about three times recently.

media_camera The snake bit Stella on her front paw. Picture: Supplied

North Croydon veterinarian Marcus Andrews said the Gaebeles had really helped Stella’s condition by bringing the dog into the clinic so quickly.

“They managed to get her in that quick before the toxins really got through,” Mr Andrews said.

He said anyone who believed their pet had been bitten by a snake should have an emergency plan ready and ring their vet to make sure there was antivenom on hand.

“Have the vet and emergency number on the fridge and get to the vet as soon as possible,” Mr Andrews said.