Alligator snatches, eats dog in Royal Palm
 

Hello All:
Today I read some rather sad news from the Palm Beach Post.

Alligator snatches, eats dog in Royal Palm
By Kevin Deutsch

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

ROYAL PALM BEACH — An alligator killed a Yorkie-Maltese mix on Tuesday, sneaking up on and snatching the pup when she scurried out of her owner's interior design shop.

Michael Rochefort was fixing the back door when Malibu made a beeline past his feet and toward the water.



Uma Sanghvi/Post

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Caught by trappers, the 6-foot alligator that killed Malibu was living in a pond behind the shopping center at Okeechobee Boulevard and State Road 7.


The gator crept up and snapped its teeth around the dog.

"I heard a bark, and then I saw her being pulled into the water," said Rochefort, 29, whose Professional Interior Designs store sits within 20 feet of the water's edge.

"The gator just came up and grabbed her. It went across to the other side of the lake with the dog in its mouth."

The gator that attacked Malibu was one of at least three found in the retention pond behind the shopping center at Okeechobee Boulevard and State Road 7, said Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokeswoman Dani Moschella.

Trappers captured the 6-foot gator they believe killed Malibu.

They planned to trap the other two because of their proximity to the shopping center and reports that people were feeding them by throwing food in the pond, Moschella said.

Rochefort and his wife, Yvette, had only recently gotten Malibu.

She was a playmate to their 9-month-old daughter and 2-year-old son.

"She was a new addition to the family, but we loved her very much," said Yvette Rochefort. "She was one of my kids."

Moschella said pet owners should keep them away from waterways.

During the past week, three Florida women were killed by alligators.

Despite the weeklong surge in the number of fatal encounters, alligators are attacking with no greater frequency, experts say.

Please If you live in Florida know that it is mating season for gators right now! I can not imagine how devistated the family of this little pup must be. Don't let your dogs loose around open water!! This really breaks my heart to see something like this happen and I want to be the first to warn people to prevent it.:littleang :mad:

OMGosh.....That is so sad:(

I am glad we dont have Aligators or Crocodiles where we are its too cold for them here....."Thank goodness":eek:

Aw that is so sad!

MAN. I HATE to blame the woman - but if she knew there was water with gators close by ....why let her little dog off leash ! POOR BABY....We have to always be on the lookout for these little guys - they're just super fast and can meet with tragedy in seconds. :(

What a sad story but good reminder to the people who live amoung the gators - That was AWFUL about the women killed too....Amazing that could happen even.:(