Got Dog

When a normal response to an alligator sighting is to freak out and run away, this senior man begs to differ. Instead, he ran towards it and plunged into the waters to open up its hardened, scaled jaws. But of course, this is not a daily occurrence; this man was forced into action when a hungry alligator captured his beloved three-year-old puppy named Gunner.

Richard Wilbanks, a 74-year-old resident of Florida, thought of nothing but to save his puppy, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel when he saw that an alligator was dragging his beloved pet. The tough senior was not intimidated by the alligator’s sharp teeth and immediately plunged into the waters to deal with the hard-scaled reptile. The hard-to-believe incident was recorded by a camera installed near that place to watch and record deer and bobcats. But on that day, neither of the two animals were recorded by the camera, but two different animals — and one brave man.

In the video footage, Wilbanks is seen in his shorts, cap, and vest while saving his puppy from the alligator’s mouth. Despite his age, the man appeared to be healthy (and not intimidated) with the alligator, which is fascinating to watch. One more thing that everyone can notice about the footage is that even with the situation, Wilbanks even managed not to throw his cigarette when he responded to the emergency. He can be seen still puffing his cigarette while opening the mouth of the very hungry alligator.

It was evident in the video that the alligator had picked the wrong meal that day as it struggled in the strong arms of Wilbanks. Eventually, the puppy was able to run away from the gator’s mouth, thanks to the bravery of his senior yet courageous father.

In this day and age, this stunning incident is nearly impossible not to be left unnoticed by mainstream and social media. Wilbanks’ heroic act was covered on ABC7 and spread (of course) on social media to the delight and amazement, not only of pet owners but of everybody.

Learning from the critical incident, Wilbanks said that the young Gunner would now be put on a leash every time they go out from now on.

Source: Harrison Jones via Metro