A Florida dog owner showed an alligator who is boss on Friday when he pulled apart the alligator’s jaws to save his beloved pet.
The unidentified man reportedly heard commotion outside his house, where he discovered the gator and the dog in a canal in his backyard, WWSB reported.
He then jumped into the canal, pulled apart the gator’s jaws, and rescued his injured dog. The owner took the dog to his veterinarian to be treated for minor injuries.
A Florida Fish and Wildlife spokesperson confirmed that the man was also injured as a result of the rescue attempt.
“He got injured, either prying the mouth open or — it’s still kinda sketchy of how he got [the injuries], but it was from the alligator,” Lt. Rob Gerkin of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Officer told WWSB.
Authorities captured the nearly 10-foot long gator on Friday evening.
The man’s neighbor, Kelley Ayers, rejoiced when she found out the gator had been caught after she claimed that same week that she called a trapper to get rid of the gator.
“They got him last night! He was 9 feet 9 inches,” she wrote on Facebook after the alligator was caught. “Huge… so glad my neighbor and dog are OK!”
Officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife urge anyone with concerns about alligators on their property to call its Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR.