The post Florida Man Who Saved His Puppy From Alligator’s Jaws Shares Update On Dog’s Recovery appeared first on Healthy Holistic Living.

When a 4-foot alligator lunged at Richard Wilbank’s puppy, Richard did not hesitate to lunge right back. Gunner, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel was by Wilbank’s side as the two walked along a retention pond near their home. They were unaware an alligator lay in wait, just below the surface of the water. When it leapt towards the pair and snatched Gunner from the shore, Richard sprang into action. (1)

Man Saves Dog, Gunner

“It was like a missile,” says Richard, 74. “We were only about 3 feet away from it, but it struck like a snake. It had Gunner in a vise grip and I just rushed in.” I watched an interview with Richard and Chris Cuomo on CNN and was impressed by Richard’s humbleness. He doesn’t see himself as a hero, and is just happy his 3-month-old pup is safe. (1)

Man Saves Dog And Suffers Minor Injuries

Following the attack, little Gunner went into shock. Thankfully, Richard’s quick thinking saved the puppy, but he had to wrench Gunner from the alligator’s jaw. Even though it bit down on Richard’s hand, his only thought was to save Gunner. (1)

Richard and Gunner returned home with their injuries and quickly bandaged up Richard’s hand before heading to the veterinarian. Gunner suffered from a puncture wound, but did not have internal injuries. He did however have water in his lungs. (1)

Two Day Recovery For Gunner

Gunner was in hospital for two days to recover. But this hasn’t stopped him from enjoying his favorite trails. “He’s still swimming out there,” says Richard.

Richard and his wife Louise moved to the area to be closer to Richard’s son, Grant. A home they had their eye on came on the market just after their honeymoon. They quickly snatched it up. “We fell in love with it,” says Richard. (1)

Man Saves Dog And Preserves Backyard Views

According to Louise, Richard made great effort to ensure the view into the nature preserve was perfect. The couple loves living so close to nature, where Richard sits and spots local wildlife including deer, turkey, bobcats. He was thrilled to get a rare glimpse of a panther. (1)

“It’s wonderful to be able to share our lives with the wildlife,” he says.  (1)

Incident Captured By Cameras

The entire episode was captured by the Florida Wildlife Federation and the f-stop Foundation cameras. They track local wildlife with the footage. “I’m pleased with the job they do,” says Richard. “And this lets people know we can live with wildlife.” (1)

The federation has 17 cameras placed across 15 backyards in Estero.  “Humans and wildlife, we both inherently share the same landscape and homeowners who live in and around nature should understand the value of wildlife around them,” says Meredith Budd, the FWF representative in Southwest Florida. “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.” (1)

“New Leash On Life”

As for Gunner, he is back to his old tricks, with a new leash to keep him safe when out and about. According to Richard, Gunner has “a new leash on life.”  Richard’s advice to neighbors is to keep their dogs on a leash, and stay at least 10 feet away from the water. It makes it easier for humans and wildlife to live in harmony and keeps pets safe. (1)

The post Florida Man Who Saved His Puppy From Alligator’s Jaws Shares Update On Dog’s Recovery appeared first on Healthy Holistic Living.

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