20/11/2025
and regarding pets.
Today we received a phone call from a community centre in . They called us hoping we could help, as they had tried a few others who were currently unavailable. Unfortunately, we had to tell them we can't help as it's out of our service area, and could mean leaving our area unserviced. But we did attempt to find someone to help them.
Later that day we had a call to a job in , where a snake was seen fleeing under a doggo kennel. When we arrived, we found a magnificent . Red bellies, whilst native to all the areas we service, aren't very common, in the entire area we service, we might relocate, less than can be counted on one hand per year, contrast that to the amount of only brownsakes we can relocate from a single town in a year. So suffice to say, this video is special. Watch till the end where it disappears into minimal grass, such a contrast in colour of a snake, and still relatively hard to keep your eyes on it moving.
How does this post relate to pets? Well, where was it found? Outdoor kennels are often sitting on the ground, a perfect location for a pitstop whilst on the move, even better if there is a water bowl there too. It's like stopping in at the servo for refreshments on a journey. In this particular instance, the kennel was not in use, yet near the kids swing set. We advised moving it, or getting rid of it. Now how does this help you if you have one that's being used...well...lifting it off the ground can help, a ruler length off the ground can mean all the difference, whilst it's still "shelter" it's also exposed, so not likely to be a useful pitstop. If you have a small doggo, you may need the assistance of a ramp. Also, pet blankets in kennels, must be taken out, shaken about, and put back in no less than twice a day, no ifs ands or 🍑. Sitting it on some cement blocks can work, or some star pickets in the ground, a pallet on top, and then the kennel as the finishing touch.
Now, whilst we were in Castlemaine, we were only a stone's throw..half an hour from Bendigo, so we called the community centre to check in and see how they got on with their snake. They had no luck getting help. Because I was now relatively close, I told them I can come and help. So out I went. This particular snake had been seen yesterday Arvo, and this morning. But, no one had been keeping an eye on the situation for a few hours by this point. It had been seen under their raised walkway surrounding the building. I walked around checking under the entire thing, no snake, back to where it was spotted, sent our camera down the box tube that was used as the frame. No snake in there. Dug out a little area to get a better view under, no snake. Took off some of the boards, still no snake. We checked the surrounding gardens and... ... ... No snake. We can't win the all unfortunately. We even checked under the tiny lips under the windows and doors. We did point out a few potential entry points into the main building that could be improved as well. Hopefully, if it is seen again in the future, someone more local can take over where we left off. It's only the second time in my life I have ever been to Bendigo. It's a really nice little city. We stopped at your local Bunnings to buy some plants, and had a good chat with the people at the checkout, as they inquired on the effectiveness of snake deterrent vi*****rs.
On the way home, I got pulled over by Victoria Police from Maryborough for a breath test. And had another lovely conversation with the officers, they loved Arlo, and had a few questions about snakes as well. Thank you for doing your job, but it does make my heart skip a beat every time I see you guys hit the breaks and do a youeee with the sirens on. Ha ha.
If you need a snake catcher, call us on 0490 415 734 or find us on our website, but don't forget to like and follow our page for regular information
