WOODWAY, Texas — A week and a half ago Woodway Public Safety Department K9 Corporal Shaka had a life threatening experience when she was bitten by a snake, twice.
Her handler, Officer Joshua Hilliard thought he was going to lose her.
Hilliard says on the night of October 21 -- he and Shaka were going through their nightly routine in the back yard -- eating dinner, exercising and playing fetch.
Instead of going towards a ball he had thrown, Shaka lunged toward a spot in the yard where a 3 to 4 foot rattlesnake was coiled up and ready to strike.
Hilliard says the snake didn't have any rattles so it was easy to miss it. He says he has seen a couple of rattlesnakes on his property over the years but none of them have ever been threatening.
"I saw it strike in the in the face, which is where she still has a little scab right here on an snout but then I saw it pop out after her a second time," Hilliard recalled. "I thought it was the face again, but it might have been the neck."
The second bite was the worse of the two leaving Shaka fighting for her life.
"Vets had to cut away a good chunk of meat and flesh from her neck and underneath her jaw so she's got a big cavity in there right now that we're trying to allow to grow back," Hilliard explained.
Hilliard says Shaka is recovering pretty well right now given the circumstances but he says her anatomy wasn't built to sustain something like this right now.
"She's an extremely resilient dog," he said. "She's a fighter, everything that she's been through so far is something I don't wish on on any animal."
Shaka was just getting better after being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, requiring blood transfusions and lots of other medical treatment.
Now it's about healing and avoiding infection, along with medications, antibiotics, too many trips to the vet than one would like and the worst part -- being off duty.
"She's just pretty frustrated that dad doesn't let her run around free and play ball and everything right now," Hilliard said.
Shaka also really hates the giant cone she's got around her neck.
As she continues down the road to recovery, the medical bills keep stacking. But Hilliard says thanks to the generous people around Central Texas and the rest of the country voting for Shaka to win a $5000 through the Aftermath K9 Grant, she has the chance to survive but also get back to work.
"You know it's been an eye opener and restoration of faith in humanity," he said.
Hilliard is optimistic about Shaka's recovery and once her wound heals, she'll have a surgery to close it up. Then, when she's ready and willing she'll be back in uniform.