A woman in Florida was injured while trying to protect her dog from an alligator, reports Fox affiliate WSVN News. Gwen Cash had to fight off an alligator outside her home in Pembroke Pines near Holly Lake when the reptile emerged from the water and tried to attack her Rottweiler, Maximus. The dog was unharmed, but the woman suffered injuries to her arm.
Dog escapes alligator attack while on walk
Cash said the alligator approached her dog when she took him out for a walk. “Within five minutes, we weren’t here that long, and he was right there, I go, ‘Wow,’ I scan the whole lake and that quick, he was right there,” she shared.
Recalling the incident, Cash shared, “He kind of turned like as if he was going for my dog’s throat. I tried putting my arm around my dog’s chest, and that’s how I got scratched or whatever.” She added, “I’m glad he didn’t close his mouth.”
She ultimately managed to pull Maximus away and got the pup back inside the house.
Cash, who’s lived near the Everglades all her life, described alligators as “beautiful,” saying “they’re in their natural habitat.”
“When you start feeding them, they look at you and they think of food,” she said. “And that’s the only thing I can think of as to why he came straight up. Either that or he wants to get my dog.”
Moreover, Cash expressed concerns for the families who live near Holly Lake. “Hey, if not my dog, someone’s little kid could be playing,” she warned.
As such, she is currently working with a trapper to get the alligator removed from the lake.
Recent alligator attacks on dogs in Florida
In Florida, alligator attacks on dogs have become increasingly common. In May 2023, a 12-foot alligator attacked a dog at Riverside Park in Oviedo, Florida. The incident happened when a woman and her boyfriend took their dog out for a walk along the Little Econ River. The boyfriend subsequently jumped on the reptile and managed to rescue the pup.
In another shocking incident last February, an 85-year-old woman was killed by a 10-foot alligator while she was trying to protect her dog, according to NBC News. The canine managed to survive the attack. The alligator was later trapped and euthanized.
