The bond between a Florida man and his beloved companion was put to the ultimate test during one of their morning walks. The Cavalier puppy was trapped within the jaws of an alligator in an instant, causing the dedicated dog dad to jump into action.
Richard and Louise Wilbanks recently welcomed a tiny Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Gunner into their home. The 3-month-old Cavalier and Richard were attached at the hip from the moment they met, resulting in a friendship like no other.
The pair went on a walk each day, often by the shore of a nearby pond. While most of their morning walks were uneventful, this Sunday morning brought a terrifying warning that neither saw coming.
Waiting in the water was a 4-foot-long alligator that was stalking Gunner’s every move. In the blink of an eye the gator leapt from the water, capturing Gunner in his powerful jaws.
“We were just out walking by the pond, and it came out of the water like a missile. I never thought an alligator could be that fast. It was so quick.” – Richard Wilbanks
Without any hesitation, Richard dove into the pond before Gunner could be pulled underwater. He knew he only had a few seconds before his pup would be long gone, and he could not let this happen.
Richard jumped into the murky pond and had the alligator’s jaws between his hands within seconds. He began prying the mouth apart, creating a 30-second-long struggle that tested his strength.
“I just automatically jumped into the water.” – Richard Wilbanks
Richard’s quick action paid off, as Gunner was soon freed from the alligator’s grasp and running to safety. The quick release of Gunner’s body caused the alligator to clamp down on Richard’s hand, resulting in a struggle of his own to free his hand. Thankfully for this bonded pair, Richard was able to escape.
After narrowly escaping a terrifying fate, Gunner managed to walk away with a minor puncture wound to the abdomen. Serious hand wounds could not stop Richard from ensuring his pup’s safety, as he rushed the injured pup to the local vet to make sure he was okay.
After a few diagnostics at their local animal clinic, they confirmed that Gunner’s puncture to the abdomen was not life threatening. Though the puncture was not too serious, Gunner did manage to inhale quite a bit of water during the struggle. To make sure he would recover from this traumatizing incident, he remained in hospital for a few days.
Once Gunner and Richard healed from their wounds, they learned that the entire incident was caught on camera. This pond was being monitored by the Florida Wildlife Federation and the fstop Foundation, which was capturing live footage of the pond and the surrounding wildlife.
“While this video was shocking and I’m glad everyone was OK, I’m glad it’s a learning opportunity for the importance of respecting wildlife and taking precautions to make sure this doesn’t happen to anyone else.” – Meredith Budd, FWF Representative
The Wilbanks have had time to reflect on this event and walk away with a valuable lesson. Richard urges all pet parents to walk your dogs at least 10 feet away from any shoreline, and to always keep your furry friends on a leash. If you’d like to witness the event yourself, take a look at the video below.
“Our pets, they’re just like family to us.” – Richard Wilbanks
We are so glad that both Gunner and Richard are okay, and are blown away by Richard’s incredible bravery. We hope that every pet parent can learn something from this terrifying event, and that this story can help to save future pups.
H/T: abc7.com & usatoday.com
Image Source: usatoday.com
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