Tiny Dog Survives Attack by Alligator

LUTZ, Fla. (AP) -- A small dog could have been Easter dinner had it not gotten away from an alligator in a Tampa area pond.

Gizmo, a 7-pound gray Maltese-toy poodle mix, escaped through a hole in the porch screen at his home in Lutz on Sunday and ran down to the pond behind the house. In a matter of moments, the dog began to yelp.

Its owner saw an alligator grab the dog by the ear and pull him under the water. But Gizmo was able to break away even as the alligator clamped down on one of the dog's back thighs.

The alligator eventually let go and sank beneath the surface of the water.

Gizmo has puncture wounds on his ear and back leg, and will be on antibiotics for 14 days and painkillers. But the veterinarian expects him to make a full recovery.