Tenino woman finds domestic snake outside her apartment

TENINO — A Tenino resident is trying to find the owner of a domestic snake she found outside her apartment complex.

Brittney Anderson says she was shocked to discover the 5-foot snake when she stepped outside for a cigarette break Tuesday night.

Anderson told The Olympian that she called animal control in Tacoma because it was the only place open at the time. Employees told her to capture the snake so it wouldn’t freeze to death before sunrise.

She called her uncle for help. Anderson says the snake was “ice cold” and she held it for at least a half hour to warm it up.

Thurston County Animal Services Shelter Manager Connie Patterson says the situation is unusual. In 2014, the shelter had just one report of a domestic snake found.

Anderson’s uncle says he knows a few people who own snakes and one person is considering taking the reptile if the owner isn’t found.