A Florida sheriff’s office honored a four-month old dog it says showed the “tenacity” to be a deputy dog.
In October, Gunner was locked in the jaws of an alligator in Lee County, Florida. The dog’s owner, Richard Wilbanks, jumped into the pond and fought off the alligator, allowing Gunner to make an escape.
“We were just out for a Sunday morning stroll by a pond and Gunner, all of a sudden, I just heard him yelp,” Wilbanks said. “I looked around and saw the alligator swimming around the pond with him. I just jumped in the water and caught up with the alligator, got my heads on him and drug him up to the bank and pinned him down and pried his jaws open.”
“Crazy story, happy to say Gunner is here today,” Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said.
Marceno bestowed Gunner with his badge this week after escaping the alligator.
"Do you swear to uphold the Constitutional law for the Lee County Sheriff's Office, Gunner? Ok. This is a big day, OK. You are going to be a detective now. Here we go,” Marceno said.
