Pet owner warns residents to watch pets after dog killed by gator in Pinellas Co.

Rocky. (Photo courtesy of Colleen McDonald)

KENNETH CITY, Fla. (WFLA) – A pet owner in Pinellas County is warning other pet owners in her neighborhood to watch out for gators after her dog was attacked and killed by one on Wednesday.

Colleen McDonald is mourning the loss of her 10-year-old Chow mix Rocky.

McDonald tells us Rocky didn’t have a chance escaping the jaws of a 9-foot, 400-pound gator yesterday.

“I’m just glad that they got him,” she said, referring to the captured gator. “It was an experience that I would never want to go through again in my life. I was traumatized yesterday, especially for it to happen right in front of my own eyes.”

According to McDonald, Rocky crawled underneath the fence of their home on Criswell Avenue and swam across Joe’s Creek, as he’s done dozens of times in the past.

McDonald said she saw the alligator approaching Rocky as he tried to get back to shore.

“I was trying to deter the alligator. You now throw things at him,” she said. “By then Rocky had hit the water and as soon as Rocky hit the water, the alligator flew to him.”

She called dialed 911, and hours later, a trapper was able to catch the gator.

RELATED: Dog killed by 9-foot alligator in St. Petersburg

McDonald believes there are more gators nearby.

“I’m going to warn all the other pet owners here and I want everybody to let their children know, please don’t let out there because that gator alone was not afraid of people, he was coming right up towards me again, like I was his next appetite,” said McDonald. “I’d just hate for it to happen to anybody else.”