9ft Alligator Attacked & Ate Florida Man's Dog 'Like It Was Nothing'

After a nine-foot alligator had caught his beloved dog, a Florida man recounts hitting and grabbing at the beast.

According to Fox News, Josh Wells, a Tallahassee resident, was playing fetch with his dog during an afternoon lunch in June.

However, Toby, a 40-pound black Labrador retriever mix, was seized by a near-10-foot alligator, and the outing ended tragically.

Alamy

Wells had been tossing a tennis ball for Toby at the J.R. Alford Greenway Trail off of Buck Lake Road.

According to the Tallahassee Democrat, the loving dog was standing elbow-deep in a pool of water that apparently serves as drainage for the neighboring residential street.

Credit: Sally Weigand / Alamy (Stock image)

Then "boom, the water just sort of exploded," Wells recalls.

The engineer then recounts how Toby never barked or sensed the gator approaching.

Wells, got the pet dog for his child during the pandemic and tried his best to save his life from the beast.

(Courtesy: Karen Parker/FWC)

However, after holding the massive creature, Wells let go when he realized how large the alligator was. According to Florida Fish and Wildlife, the seized alligator measured 9ft 2" long.

"[Wells] said he soon realized that was not a good idea and let the alligator go," an FWC report stated.

According to FWC Officer Benjamin Johnson, a trapper found Toby's remains and returned them to the family for burial.

In addition, the alligator who grabbed Toby was discovered and eventually euthanized.

At the time of the event, Toby was not tied by a leash.

According to the FCW, Florida is home to an estimated 1.3 million alligators, who are more frequently seen in the spring and summer as their metabolisms grow.

According to the wildlife department, all pet owners should keep their animals on leashes while near water.

Wells claims that the neighborhood he used to visit with Toby is popular with locals and regularly has kids playing nearby.

"There's cul-de-sacs, you're not expecting a gator to come out and eat your dog," he said.

Back in May, a guy searching for frisbees in a Largo lake was assaulted and killed by an alligator.

According to wildlife officials, it's still alligator mating season so the reptiles will be warier.