I love all of my pets, I really do, though I’m not sure how many predators I’d fight off to try and save them. In what could be a scene in a Hollywood film, a Florida woman risked her life to save the love of her life: her dog. Kim Spencer was on a routine walk with her dog around her neighborhood lake when an alligator appeared from the water. The gator snatched up her dog, and instead of calling for help, she jumped in and used her bare hands to pry the animal’s jaws off her best friend.
The incident occurred in Tampa, Florida, in a neighborhood known for its safety, where situations like this are quite rare. However, a Florida resident knew exactly how to respond when she saw her nine-year-old rescue dog, Kona, being grabbed by an alligator. Without hesitation, the gym enthusiast jumped on top of the alligator, straddled it, and used her strength to pry its jaws open, successfully freeing her dog.
“I didn’t even think. I just moved.”
Although the two of them weren’t completely free from danger, Kona was ultimately safe. Both Kim and Kona received treatment for bites that only required a few stitches, and they are expected to fully recover soon. As for the alligator, wildlife officials successfully captured and relocated it to a different area. Fortunately, it’s safe to say that no one involved—human or animal—was severely harmed!
Florida is very popular for the ‘Florida Man’ meme, which involves men from the Sunshine State being recorded doing absolutely insane acts. So, it makes sense that the locals call her Kim the Florida Gator Slayer, especially since she was able to walk away and tell the tale with almost no injuries. In a post-interview about the incident, Kim revealed that she actually has a fear of reptiles and was intent on warning others near Florida waterways to stay alert. More specifically, she explains how the situation completely altered how she thinks about walking her dog.
Alligators, despite being massive reptiles that belong in swamps, are actually incredibly common on Florida highways. Just recently, a Florida gator was filmed comedically walking toward a Gator Jerky sign, which is actually a delicacy around the Redlands in South Florida. I would know, that’s roughly the area I grew up in. Hopefully, pet owners in Kim’s area will use her story as a cautionary tale whenever taking their own pets outside.
