Overview

• Danie Wright says she struck the alligator in the eye to free her 4-month-old puppy, Dax, during an attack behind her Land O’Lakes home.
• The gator grabbed the pup by the collar and dragged it toward a stagnant, watermoss-covered creek that had concealed the animal.
• Wright was bitten during the struggle and is recovering from her injuries, according to local broadcast reports.
• Trappers and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers responded and removed the alligator from the property.
• Reports describe the reptile as about five feet long, with Wright saying it surged roughly 15 feet out of the water; FWC reiterates guidance to keep pets leashed and away from the water’s edge, noting two major alligator bites on people in Florida this year as of May.