March 31, 2008

LUTZ, Fla. -- An alligator that tried to make a Florida dog its dinner was removed from a small pond in the Heritage Harbor neighborhood Thursday by third generation trapper Mickey Fagan.

Using a fish hook and beef tongue as bait, Fagan lured the six and a half foot reptile from the pond in about 15 minutes.

According to Linda Collins of the Florida Wildlife Commission Call Center, state law allows residents who feel threatened by an alligator that’s more than four feet long to request that the animal be removed.

Residents who call the state’s gator hotline are informed that if they wish to have the animal removed, it will be harvested, or killed, for its meat and hide.

Residents are given the opportunity to rescind their request once made aware of that fact. Collins said some people do decide to cohabitate with the animals upon learning they are not released elsewhere.

If harvested, caught alligators are given to the trappers as payment.

The alligator in question first became a problem over the Easter weekend when it attacked a small dog. Gizmo slipped through a rip in owner Cathy and Mike Piendel’s porch screen door and scurried down to the pond where the alligator was lurking.

Cathy Piendel, who was chatting on the phone on the porch, said she didn’t hear her seven pound pup sneak out.

But then she heard yelps and barks emanating from a pond just yards from the porch. She looked out to see her dog in the clutches of the alligator.

Cathy Piendel ran to the pond to rescue her dog, screaming all the way. The alligator then released Gizmo and submerged into the water.

The dog is now recovering from his wounds. Cathy Piendel said immediately following a trip to the vet, Gizmo was sedated and given pain killers.

“He laid in his bed for eight hours,” she said. “At one point I was concerned because he was drooling, but he perked up before too long. You wouldn’t even know he’s been through (the attack).”

To find out more about the Florida Wildlife Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program, visit their Web site at myfwc.com/gators.

To see our initial coverage on this story, type “Tiny Dog Nearly Became Gator Bait” into the search bar at the top of the page.

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