For the ones they love, many people will go to any length — even if it puts them in danger. We have seen countless tales of everyday pet owners risking their own lives to preserve that of their four-legged friend (and vice versa). These loving and courageous acts are a testament to how strong our bonds can be with animals.
An incredible 74-year-old woman fearlessly confronted an alligator to protect her beloved golden retriever.
On the night of August 24, Suzan Marciano from Boca Raton, Florida was taking her beloved pup Nalu for a stroll near a lake when news broke according to The Palm Beach Post.
After a playful game of fetch, Suzan and her golden retriever were taking in the beauty of their lake – with the pup chest-deep in its depths. Her heart twisted however when she noticed a dark shape moving towards them.
In the blink of an eye, a monstrous alligator, measuring more than six feet long, seized Nalu in its powerful jaws.
Without hesitation, the elderly woman acted fast to rescue her pup. “I had no other option but to press all of my weight down on the gator,” she exclaimed in an interview with The Palm Beach Post.
Nalu was let go by the gator but with a sudden shift, Suzan became its target. In that flash of time, it had her hand in its bite and all she could do was stand still out of shock. She remembers feeling no pain at all throughout the whole ordeal.
Miraculously, both Suzan and Nalu made it through the traumatic experience with only minor wounds. For her hand laceration, Suzan received five stitches; whereas poor Nalu required a two-hour surgery to heal punctures in her stomach and thigh areas.
Suzan and her daughter were both left severely traumatized by the experience, with Suzan being too scared to return to the park for weeks afterward. “I kept having visions of a shadow with two eyes looking up at me from under the water,” she told The Palm Beach Post. It was an image that would not escape her mind anytime soon.
The Post reported that in response to the incident, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission investigated the site but could not locate any alligators. A representative from their program commented that they take proactive measures to address potential alligator-related threats.
Suzan and Nalu were both lucky to survive the frightening incident, despite suffering various injuries. It is a testament to how far pet owners will go for their canine companions when they are in peril.
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