Florida Man Fights Off 13-Foot Alligator To Save His Dog

A Florida man didn't hesitate to go toe-to-toe with an alligator when it attacked his six-year-old dog, Loki. Trent Tweddale was walking Loki near a swollen river on his farm in Wesley Chapel when an alligator grabbed Loki and pulled him into the water.

"I grabbed the dog's collar to try to pull him back, and I ended up in a tug-of-war match with this gator, and the gator was not letting go," Tweddale told WFLA.

Tweddale realized he wasn't going to win a tug-of-war match against a 13-foot alligator, so he jumped into the water and started to hit its head. Eventually, the gator gave up and let go of Loki. Tweddale pulled the injured dog out of the water and rushed him to an animal hospital.

"They put metal plates and screws in and were able to reconstruct [Loki's leg] that way. We're hoping that he can regain full use of his paws after this," Tweddale said.

Tweddale only suffered a few scratches during his brawl with the gator and said he would do anything for Loki.

"We love our dog a lot, and I'd fight tooth and nail for him."

Tweddale told the news station that he is working with local officials to trap the gator.

"The trapper did not have any bait, so I grabbed one of my roosters, and we used him as bait for the trap. We haven't had any luck yet," said Tweddale.

Photo: Screengrab/WFLA