Florida man wrestles alligator to save his dog from certain death

It is not a gator-eat-dog world.

A Florida man rescued his 8-month-old dog as an alligator tried to eat it Tuesday.

Mike McCoy was walking his chocolate lab, Jake, near a pond in the far northwest Tampa suburb of Holiday, local ABC station WFTS reported. A gator leapt from the pond and dragged Jake under.

This alligator was not the one that attacked Jake, but it did strike a good pose.

McCoy immediately jumped in after the gator, wrestling the beast until it dropped Jake.

“I got around, thumbed him the eye, picked him out of the water so he couldn’t get anywhere until he let the dog go. And in the interim he decided, I don’t have him, I’ll bite you,” McCoy told WFTS.

A teacher at a middle school overlooking the pond witnessed the battle, and school nurse Shelly Churchill helped stitch up McCoy and Jake, according to WFTS. Neither suffered serious injuries.

Florida wildlife officials estimated the gator was 7-9 feet long and said they’re working to remove it from the pond, WFTS reported.

Gators have been known to attack dogs in Florida, but Florida men are also known for their lifesaving efforts. In November 2020, 74-year-old Richard Wilbanks was caught on camera saving his puppy, Gunner, from the jaws of death.