A South Florida woman's serene life alongside wildlife took a sharp turn on New Year’s Eve when she found herself fending off an alligator to protect her rottweiler. Pembroke Pines resident Gwen Cash was near a local lake when an alligator appeared and threatened her dog, Maximus, leaving her with scratches and bruises after the clash, as WSVN reported.
"He kind of turned like as if he was going for my dog’s throat. I tried putting my arm around my dog’s chest and that’s how I got scratched. I’m glad he didn’t close his mouth," Cash told WSVN in a recount of the harrowing encounter. Believing that prior instances of residents feeding wildlife may have emboldened the gator, she expressed concern over the safety of the families near Holly Lake, suggesting that an attack on a child could be next.
Following up on the dangerous run-in, Cash is reportedly in contact with a trapper to help relocate the reptile. She pointed out to WSVN the potential dangers of the alligator's growing comfort with humans, likely due to it having been fed by someone in the past. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) echoed this sentiment, advising against feeding wildlife, particularly alligators, to prevent them from associating humans with food, as noted by BNNBreaking.com.
This is not an isolated incident in the area; Last year, 74-year-old Suzan Marciano had to save her Golden Retriever mix from an alligator attack at a Florida park. Marciano was left with puncture wounds and required stitches after the encounter. Despite these injuries, both women have expressed no regrets about protecting their pets. The FWC has observed a rise in alligator attacks since 2018, a trend that is believed to be linked with Florida's growing population and development, BNNBreaking.com detailed in their coverage.
