Officials, and a devastated owner, are warning people to be vigilant when walking with their pets in Alabama’s Gulf State Park. The warnings follow a puppy’s tragic encounter this week with an alligator along one of the park’s trails – according to Friday’s WPMI News, late Thursday afternoon, a nine-month-old pup, walking with his owner on a trail, was snatched by an alligator.
The shepherd-mix puppy’s owner, Hannah Upchurch, told the news agency how her puppy, Havoc, was grabbed in an instant, “It jumped out full force 10 seconds the fastest thing I’ve ever seen.”
According to wildlife experts, summer is an active time for alligators and the gator who killed Havoc may have been protecting a nest in the area. Upchurch isn’t angry with the reptile, but she hopes that other people will be aware of the danger in this area and avoid the heartbreak that she is currently facing.
Officials in the park have searched for the puppy’s killer, but they haven’t found the gator yet. When and if they do, the alligator will be removed.
(Image screenshot via WPMI News)
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Living on the gulf coast or in Florida gators go hand in hand! Knowing this it is up to the pet owners to be careful where they walk! This puppy didn’t have to die!
What a horrible thing to have happen to your precious pup. My heartfelt condolences.
If you have the need to let your dogs run free, without leash…GO TO A DOG PARK!!!! Had this baby been on a leash, he would have at least stood a chance. But no…..the owner thinking it was so cool to let her puppy run and explore, cost his life. There is NO REASON for any pet to be out walking with their owners WITHOUT A LEASH….. Go to a dog park to let them explore.
Spread the word please.
RIP Havoc.
If Havoc was not leashed the owner has no one to blame but herself – ANYONE who lives in the area would certainly know that alligators reside there and to be extra careful – this puppy did not need to die