The Lee County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office deputized a four-month-old puppy named Gunner after he was saved from an alligator’s clutches by his owner last month.
The sheriff’s office honored him for his “tenacity and fight.”
Gunner’s owner, Richard Wilbanks, rushed to save him last month when an alligator grabbed the dog and dragged him into a pond. A video of Wilbanks’s attempt to save the dog went viral. Both dog and owner escaped the alligator’s clutches, mostly unharmed.
“Crazy story. Happy to say that Gunner is here today because of Rick’s fast actions, jumping in without hesitation,” Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said in a video posted on Facebook.
In the caption of the video post, the sheriff’s office wrote, “This 4-month-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is the newest recruit to Deputy Dogs!”
According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office website, Deputy Dogs is a “Pets on Patrol” program that encourages pet owners to report suspicious activity while with their pets.
Gunner is now the program’s next Safety and Security Officer.