A 75-year-old man in Florida says he rescued his daughter’s beloved golden retriever, Osi, from the jaws of an 8-foot alligator by repeatedly kicking the reptile in a snout.
Buddy Ackerman was walking Osi in the Palm Harbor community near Tampa on Tuesday when an alligator suddenly emerged from a retention pond and grabbed Osi by his hindquarters just as the dog had paused to take care of business.
Ackerman, a grandfather, said the alligator’s sudden emergence from the water was “like an explosion” and that he slipped and fell as he attempted to rescue the dog. Back on his feet, Ackerman began kicking the alligator in its snout until it released Osi, who is sore, but otherwise unharmed following the attack.
Trappers removed an alligator from the pond later in the day. Florida wildlife officials warned that alligators have been active in the Tampa area and to keep pets on a leash at all times.
Ackerman was grateful that Osi is a substantially sized dog, saying, “I don’t know what would happen with people with a little Pekingese or something running around. I guess we’d say goodbye.”
