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Sabol is a survivor.
The black lab mix escaped the literal jaws of death last Thursday when she fought off an alligator attack in the Palm Beach County town of Delray Beach, FL.
Many people are used to seeing gators looking lazy, lolling about in the sun, unmoving. But all that heat allows them to store up energy to attack in seconds, which is just what happened when Sable approached the edge of a pond in West Delray Regional Park.
She was severely bitten. Her owner rushed her to nearby Clint Moore Animal Hospital where a team of veterinarians worked through two-and-a-half hours of surgery to save Sable’s life.
Her vets say she’s lucky. Most of the time, they say dogs bitten by alligators don’t make it. And this unfortunate incident is a reminder that dog owners in areas where gators live should always keep their dogs leashed and nearby around water.
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“I just wouldn’t let them really close to the edge of the water,” Dr. Brian Butzer told WPTV. “Because that’s where those animals hide, and they’re going to wait for a dog to come along and they’re going to grab them.”
“And definitely keep them on a leash if they’re anywhere near a pond or a lake or anything like that,” Dr. John Thomas Brady added, “Because you can’t see them until it’s too late.”
Both Thomas and Butzer say they were amazed Sabol escaped the gator’s grasp without any organ damage or serious infection. The veterinarian team at Clint Moore Animal Hospital estimates the gator that attacked her was about six-feet long.
Sable’s owners are facing thousands of dollars in medical bills from the attack. They’ve set this a GoFundMe page for anyone interested in helping.
