Posted on 08/10/2009 9:48:52 PM PDT by nickcarraway
An 80-pound Dalmatian has died after being attacked by an alligator at Jacksonville's Hanna Park.
A 10-foot alligator was trapped and killed several hours after Saturday's 10:30 a.m. attack. Authorities say they don't know for sure that the one trapped was responsible since they spotted more than one large alligator in the same lake.
The dogs' owner, physician Charles Rust, was bitten on the hand by the wounded dog as he tried to wrestle it from the alligator. The alligator lunged and bit the dog's right leg off at the shoulder as it drank from the lake.
Rust acknowledged he had been warned to keep his dog on a leash. City officials say Rust will not face charges.
I feel sorry for the man. It is horrible to lose a best friend.
That’s why I have an English Mastiff. There is very little chance any size alligator can get him on the couch.
100 Dalmatians
It sure is nice they aren’t going to charge him.
ACLU will probably defend the ‘gator’ anyway. Guess in FL they have more rights than cats, dogs and humans.
Score another one for the wacko environmentalists
I love my American Mastiff (Flying W Farms, 1/8 Anatolian, 7/8 English Mastiff). I have a photo of him on my profile page. All the best of the sweet-tempered English, with none of the drool.
My gosh what a monster dog!!!
Sorry for the guy’s dog but anyone who lets their pet off-leash next to a lake in Florida is a dunce.
One would like to imagine that a physician would have more sense than to walk his dog off-leash by a body of water known to be inhabited by alligators (or even let the dog drink from the lake while on a leash -- alligators are fast when they've spotted a meal).
Years ago, I used to go to this park. I've been in this lake. They had signs warning about the gators. I think a man was attacked by a 11 ft gator back when I lived nearby. It's a nice ocean front park with camping. Just stay out of the lake. And you have to remember that gators wander around onshore, during mating season.
It is a shame about the dog, but my first thought was...Scooby snack.
Beautiful dog. Little one is cute too.
My dog waits for my wife to get up in the morning and then climbs on the bed to cuddle.
He doesn’t drool that much unless you are eating and he is watching. Then....well, not much defense against it. He drools.
“Sorry for the guy’s dog but anyone who lets their pet off-leash next to a lake in Florida is a dunce.”
I know how it feels to want your best friend to run loose..off leash...
I have one sweet special kitty who longs to be free...and my husky mix wants that also...
But just like your “human” kids....you can’t just can’t let them run free.....
My dogs would love to roam free too but they are spastic. Even running around a pool they’ve grown up around they still fall in because they love to chase each other and get so caught up in the moment they just forget where they are.
I could see the same thing happening next to a road or a lake.
I love your dog!!!
Thanks. He’s much bigger now, his head is huge! He was in the “Great Dane” 2 yo stage they go through, in the photo.
Mastiffs are the most wonderful dogs in the world. I don’t recommend them to a novice, though, because the temperament can be ruined if they aren’t raised right.
He wants to play with my 3 yo grandson so much....he digs out his toys from his basket, and carries them to grandson, but the little guy just says, “Go lay down!” So he lays down, rolls onto his back and whines. The older grandkids roll around with him on the floor. Mastiffs are really quite gentle, if raised gently, with the right heredity. I’ve heard some irresponsible breeders don’t breed for temperament, though.
What a handsome boy!
Thanks. He really is much bigger now. Very kind dog. I have no idea what he’d do if he were around an alligator, though. No way to predict.
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