German shepherd dragged into pond by alligator in Florida — makes it out alive in 'miracle' escape

'Zeus' was pulled underwater by an alligator in his own backyard.

PUBLISHED 1 DAY AGO

(L) American Alligator resting on the grass by the pond; (R) German Shepherd who has recently operated - Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photos by (L) Daniela Duncan; (R) Andres

A Florida family is still in disbelief after their dog Zeus was dragged into a pond by an alligator and somehow lived to walk out again. The attack happened late on June 2 in Wesley Chapel, where Zeus, a German Shepherd, had gone out through his doggie door after hearing a noise outside. Within moments, the family says an alligator burst through their backyard fence, grabbed Zeus, and pulled him headfirst into the water. "I heard everything from my room. My dad came running in yelling, 'The alligator just took Zeus.' I'd never seen him like that. He's a tough guy. It was terrifying," said Susan Alkhatib, as per the New York Post.

Ferocious gator enjoying dinner - Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Robert Loe

The family rushed outside and spotted the alligator still in the pond, thrashing with Zeus in its grip. For a few moments, they feared the worst. Then, somehow, the alligator let go. Covered in blood and badly injured, Zeus began swimming toward the shore. "We started yelling at him to come toward us. When he got closer, he got tired. So we had to kind of go into the pond a little bit to get him," Alkhatib told WFLA. Her mother waded into the water and pulled the dog to safety. The injuries were severe. Zeus had multiple puncture wounds and a fractured, displaced jaw. "The vet said it looked like his whole head was in the gator's mouth. Even he said, 'I don't know how he survived,'" said Alkhatib.

A recently operated German Shepherd - Representative Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Andres

Zeus was rushed to the emergency veterinary hospital, where he underwent surgery to repair his jaw, which had to be manually realigned and wired together. He's now on a syringe-fed liquid diet and will need to wear a muzzle for the next month while he heals, with another surgery expected in about eight weeks. "He's getting tons of love, snuggles, and care. Despite it all, Zeus continues to be such a trooper," the family wrote in a GoFundMe update. A photo of Zeus post-surgery shows the dog lying quietly, a cone around his neck and most of the fur around his face and throat shaved, exposing the wounds. His jaw remains wired shut as he recovers from one of the most violent encounters a pet could survive.

via GIPHY

Before the attack, the family had already seen the alligator lurking near the pond and had captured a video of it pacing just beyond the fence. Now, that same gator is believed to still be in the area, having eluded multiple attempts at capture. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has dispatched trappers, but the gator remains at large. In a separate video captured during a news interview, the alligator surfaced again in the background before slipping back into the water. The attack has left the family shaken. They've since closed Zeus's doggie door and no longer feel safe in their own backyard.

"I have a 7-year-old sister, and I just think, if she were at the fence, would he have done the same thing to her?" one family member said. Attacks like this are rare, but not unheard of in Florida. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, there have been nearly 500 documented alligator bites on humans since 1948, with about 30 resulting in death. Zeus's survival continues to astonish even those with medical experience. "The vet told us the gator had just missed his jugular. The fact that he made it out alive is nothing short of a miracle," the family said.