Deputy Dog: Puppy pulled from mouth of alligator gets new job
LEE COUNTY, Fla. โ A Florida dog whose rescue went viral last month has a brand new job. Gunner, a 5-month-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, is now a โdeputy dogโ with the Lee County Sheriffโs Office. โDo you swear to up hold the constitutional law for the Lee County Sheriffโs Office, Gunner,โ Sheriff Carmine Marceno asked the pup. In a video shared by the Sheriffโs Office Wilbanks retold the story of the wild encounter when he rescued Gunner from the jaws of an alligator. Gunner is fine, Iโm fine and so am I,โ Wilbanks said.
Puppy pried from gatorโs mouth by his human doing just fine
Meredith Budd, regional policy director with Florida Wildlife Federation, said Wilbanks volunteers with an educational program called Sharing the Landscape. Itโs a campaign part of the Stop Foundation with a mission to teach about co-existing with wild animals. The nonprofit organization hopes the video will serve as a learning experience for people to maintain their distance from wild animals and make sure to stay safe. โYou know, I didnโt even realize that until people started making that comment after they saw the video. Gunner is fine, Iโm fine and so am I,โ Wilbanks said.
Florida man, 74, details rescuing his puppy from jaws of alligator
ESTERO, Fla. โ A 74-year-old man leaped into a Florida pond and wrestled open the jaws of an alligator that lunged from the water to attack his 3-month-old puppy. The rescue last month was captured on video by cameras placed in the area to document wildlife. Florida Wildlife Federation workers discovered the attack when they checked the camera's memory card last week, according to the agencyโs regional policy director, Meredith Budd. Wilbanks jumped into the water and pried open the gator's jaws, freeing the frightened puppy. The cameras in the Wilbanks' neighborhood are part of a partnership between the Florida Wildlife Federation and the fSTOP Foundation, Budd said.