Ever since Louise and Richard Wilbanks brought home a three-month-old Cavalier named Gunner into their home, their lives have changed for the better. The couple immediately fell head over heels for the adorable pup. But among the two, Richard has developed a very close relationship with Gunner, which resulted in a special friendship. But Richard’s bond with Gunner was suddenly put to the test when they were out for a walk one morning.
Richard said that it was their custom to take a walk near a pond each morning with his pup. However, one Sunday morning, their normal morning walk took a terrifying turn when an alligator suddenly jumped out from the pond water and went straight for the oblivious pup. Gunner was bitten by the alligator and pulled into the water in an instant!
Richard was just as shocked as his pup, but he immediately went into action and jumped into the water. Right away, with no hesitation, he reached out for the jaws of the alligator and tried to pull it apart just enough for Gunner to escape. It took him 30 seconds of struggling with the powerful alligator before he was able to free his pup. Thankfully, Gunner was able to run away to safety.
But Richard’s struggle was not yet over. After the pup’s escape, the alligator then clamped down on his hands. Fortunately, Richard also managed to free himself from the alligator. Despite his wounds, Richard then rushed Gunner to a local vet to get the pup treated. After much examination, the vet confirmed that the pup’s wounds were not life-threatening, but he had to stay for a couple of days at the clinic to ensure his recovery.
In time, both of them recovered from their wounds and learned an important lesson from that terrifying incident. And it turns out that the whole ordeal was recorded in a camera installed in the area by the fStop Foundation and the Florida Wildlife Federation. Richards said that he hopes his experience with Gunner will teach other pup owners to look after their pups and keep them ten feet away from shorelines.
Video source: ABC7 News Bay Area via YouTube
