9-foot alligator attacks, kills 75-pound dog in St. Petersburg
The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office is warning parents and pet owners to be cautious around water after a woman's dog was killed by a 9-foot alligator in St. Petersburg on Wednesday. Deputies say the gator weighed between 350 and 400 pounds, which they say is big for Joe's Creek.
Posted — UpdatedDeputies responded to a home on Criswell Avenue, near Saint Joes Creek, for a report of an alligator attack.
The woman's 10-year-old 75-pound Chow mix, named Rocky, was attacked by the large gator and pulled down into the creek. She said the dog was not on a leash, but that she had walked the dog unleashed there before with no problem.
Deputies were unable to rescue the dog and a trapper was called to remove the alligator from the creek. Trappers say they knew they had the right gator because the dog was still in its mouth when they pulled the alligator out.
Pinellas County Sheriff's Office posted a photo of the trapped gator on Facebook with a warning to the public.
ABC Action News reached out to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office to find out what happened to the gator. They released the following statement: "The alligator was alive and in good condition when the trapper left with it. Don't know if they planned on relocating it or not."
This isn't the first time an alligator from the creek has snatched and killed a family pet. In August of 2016 a one-year-old Jack Russell got loose from his collar to chase a rabbit and a gator came out of the water and grabbed the dog.
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