Service dog killed trying to protect owner from alligator in Florida
LABELLE, Fla. -- A southwest Florida man is asking officials to inspect a marina for code violations after he says an alligator killed his pit bull on a dimly lit dock.
The attack happened in April in LaBelle when the service dog named Precious jumped in front of Robert Lineburger as the alligator tried to attack him at the Port LaBelle Marina. Lineburger had the dog because he suffers seizures.
"She jumped in front of me. She was roughly 2 to 3 feet away from me when the gator attacked," Lineburger told WPTV.
Lineburger told the station that he didn't see the alligator because of poor lighting, which he calls a commercial code violation. He lives on a boat at the marina.
He's asking Glades County code compliance officers to inspect the marina, adding that he wants something done before another tragedy occurs.
City officials told the station they hoped to send an inspector Friday.
An alligator pulled a 2-year-old into the water last week in Orlando, Florida.