A Florida woman recently rescued her puppy from the jaws of a five-foot crocodile by using a surprising tactic—blowing her eyes to get the reptile to release its grip.
Danny Wright was out for a walk with her four-month-old Dachshund near a lakeside house, about 20 miles north of Tampa, when she heard a sudden cry and felt a strong tug. “I had no plans to let go,” said Wright, a 20-year-old local, in an interview with a nearby CBS affiliate.
As the crocodile had grasped her dog by its collar and started to drag it away, Wright managed to shake her fist at the animal until it finally let go.
“I just kept hitting it,” she recounted. “Eventually, it released my dog, but not before its teeth scraped my arm.”
Fortunately, her pup Dax emerged unscathed, while Wright dealt with a bite wound and is now on the mend, according to reports.
Following the incident, officers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission captured the alligators and removed them from the area.
Wright cautioned others about the dangers of these reptiles, stating, “I know these alligators are serious business. I was completely unaware of the one lurking nearby.”
Statistically, Florida sees about eight unprovoked crocodile attacks each year, with one being fatal in 2025. However, attacks on pets happen much more frequently.
In a related incident, an optometrist named Amber Perren encountered an eight-foot alligator while walking near the St. Lucie River last July. She survived but required several surgeries to recover.
This summer, another tragic case occurred when 61-year-old Cynthia Dikema lost her life while canoeing near Kissimmee State Park Lake.
Wildlife officials estimate there are around 1.3 million alligators in Florida. They’ve recently initiated a public awareness campaign called “Gatorwise” to remind residents and visitors that these predators can be found in almost any body of water.
As a precaution, the FWC advises pet owners to keep their animals leashed and to steer clear of areas where lakes, ponds, and crocodiles might pose a hidden threat.
