Gator captured in Murrells Inlet neighborhood after eating dog

An alligator was caught Wednesday night by a team of wildlife removal specialists after the animal ate a Shih tzu in a Murrells Inlet community, according to WPDE.

Russell Cavender, known as The Snake Chaser, heads up the specialist group, and told WPDE that the 7-foot gator was captured after eating the dog in the Blackmoor Community, off S.C. 707, where gators hadn’t been an issue in the area prior to the incident.

Cavender said it took about an hour for the alligator to be wrangled.

“This is a sad thing, but it does happen,” he said to WPDE. “The alligators can’t discern between a goose, a turtle or a dog when it eats.”

Cavender warned pet owners to make sure their furry friends are on a leash, that fenced-in yards are secure, and that pets not be allowed to swim in ponds.

This story was originally published June 16, 2017 at 1:06 PM with the headline "Gator captured in Murrells Inlet neighborhood after eating dog."