It's a well-known fact in Florida that when walking your dog near any body of water, you need to be aware of alligators. Richard Wilbanks, 74, knew that and yet was still ambushed by a baby alligator after walking his three-month-old puppy, Gunner, near a pond in his backyard.
Richard watched as the baby alligator came flying out of the pond like a missile and snatched his pooch and took off into the water. Richard says the adrenaline and instinct took over when he jumped into the water, pulled the alligator out, and pried open his jaw to release his pup. He tore up his hands and needed to get a tetanus shot while the puppy had a puncture wound in his belly but went to the vet and is going to be just fine. He also never lost the cigar that he was smoking while wrestling with the alligator.
He says he still takes Gunner walking, but he keeps the puppy on a leash and at least 10 feet from the pond's edge. "Our pets, they're just like family to us," he said.
****UPDATE: The dog is okay and only suffered one puncture wound to the stomach. Wilbanks went to the hospital for a tetanus shot and treatment on his hands that were "chewed up" by the razor sharp alligator teeth.