A Florida dog had a very close call this week with a very large, very angry, and apparently very hungry alligator who definitely had plans.
In the following video, you see a happy pit bull enjoying the wonderful weather in their big backyard. There’s obviously something that smells pretty good near the water’s edge, and the wrought iron fence that separates the backyard from the water. The dog does one of those upside- down, happy rolls where they are getting the smell *all over them*. But they are totally oblivious to is the alligator sneaking up on them.
The alligator makes its move. A move so intense and violent that it actually bends the wrought iron fence with its head in its pursuit of the dog. Luckily, the fence stops them. The dog hears the commotion, and stands up to get a look at what is going on. Here’s the video.
The dog looks like he actually might engage with the gator if the fence (and the owner) weren’t there to stop them! Errr, typical Florida dog!
People in the comments were horrified, and no one wants to move to Florida! The Common Gay Boy said, ‘Florida is basically Jurassic Park Lite.’ Sue added, ‘Dog has no idea it’s rolling around, and the alligator is excited the dog is adding seasoning to itself before dinner!’ Kelly echoed the sentiments of many when she said, ‘I don’t care how warm Florida is, I would never live there.’
Tips on Keeping Your Pet Safe From Alligators
Alligator with its jaw open.Images via Shutterstock/Jeffrey Schwartz
There are approximately 1.3 million alligators in Florida. The saying is that if there’s water, there’s probably an alligator in it, and that’s not far from the truth. While no official numbers exist for recorded alligator attacks on dogs, a quick search on Google will show it’s a common occurrence. That being said, there are many things you can do to help keep your pets safe:
Consider fencing your yard if you have pets.
Don’t leave your pets unattended outside. Even if your yard if fenced, alligators can climb them or, like we saw, find weak spots and get through them.
Avoid walking your pets close to bodies of water, or letting them drink out of them. Use caution, especially around dawn and dusk.
Never feed an alligator. You don’t not want them to associate food with people.
This site has some more great tips.
Related: Florida Woman Gets Into Terrifying Fight with Alligator in Effort to Save Her Beloved Dog
This dog was super lucky, and I’m sure their parents are incredibly grateful the fence was able to keep the alligator out. There have been many stories of Florida people who were not so fortunate. Jurassic Park Lite is right!
This story was originally reported by PetHelpful on Aug 25, 2025, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add PetHelpful as a Preferred Source by clicking here.