Sunrise

Gator Eats Pet Dog in Sunrise: FWC

A family pet out for a midnight walk was eaten by an alligator late Tuesday night in Florida.

The Sunrise homeowner was walking the dog, named Jessie, behind their home when the dog went into a lake and was eaten by the alligator, Florida Fish and Wildlife Spokesperson Liz Barraco said.

“She ran around these cattails here and apparently right into the alligator,” said Zack Byers, Jessie’s owner. “By the time I got out here, the alligator had taken the dog in the middle of the lake and the dog was kicking and whining.”

Neighbors said the gator had also captured and killed a duck before it took the Byers’ family dog. Animal trappers were on the scene Wednesday morning, and will return in the afternoon to try to capture the gator.

“The biggest thing is the kids,” Byers said. “The dog is 50 pounds. A small child is not even 50 pounds. It wouldn’t have been much for that alligator to grab a small child.”

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