Florida man wrestles alligator to save pet dog

A Florida man reportedly rescued his dog from the jaws of a "dangerous alligator" last week after it came up and grabbed the pup at a popular park.

Last Friday, a man and his girlfriend were out walking their dog at Riverside Park in Oviedo, Florida, just outside Orlando, when suddenly, a 12-foot alligator emerged from the Little Econlockhatchee River, better known to locals as the Little Econ, and snatched the dog from its owners.

Apparently unconcerned about the risk to his own safety, the man jumped on the gator's back and wrestled the dog away from its powerful jaws. The couple then dashed to the vet's office for emergency treatment. The dog reportedly sustained serious injuries in the attack, and its current condition remains unknown. The names of the man and woman and their dog have not been released.

12-foot 'dangerous' alligator snatches couple's dog while out on a walkwww.youtube.com

A statement from Lisa McDonald, the communications manager for the City of Oviedo, confirmed the sequence of events: "A boyfriend and girlfriend were walking their dog at Riverside Park in the back along the Little Econ River when an alligator came out and snatched it. According to staff, (not witnessed), the boyfriend jumped on top of the alligator to rescue the dog. They were able to free the animal."

McDonald further added that no 911 call regarding the incident was ever made and that park staff had not been notified about it until the following day. At that point, a private alligator trapper was enlisted to locate the alligator and put it down.

Alligator trapper Jerry Flynn, whose nephew ultimately found the gator in question, didn't appear to be surprised when local officials sought his company's assistance in this case. "We knew that it was a dangerous alligator, a very large alligator," he said, noting that it would have presented a danger to humans as well as animals.

Flynn also claimed that alligator attacks are more frequent in warm weather. "It seems like the Econ does hold a lot of alligators," he said. "A lot of them are in the neighborhoods and when the retention ponds get low or hot, then they tend to go back into the Econ. So, we stay kind of busy."

Predatory alligators in Florida are always euthanized after capture for the safety of people, their pets, and other alligators. However, Flynn said that their deaths help his business stay afloat. "We sell the meat and the hides," he explained. "That’s how we actually make a living. We don’t get paid by the state."

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