Alligators, Dogs, and River SUPs

[paddlegator]

Has anyone heard of a gator snatching a dog off a Paddleboard yet?  River SUPs with dogs on board are becoming a new trend in Florida. It seems like the chances of a Gator-Dog-SUP encounter are going up.

[SupStyle]

I hope we never hear of one. I'd never consider taking my dog out on a SUP on a river.

This sign is enough for me.

[anotherncbeachbum]

I'd be tempted to take my neighbor's dog out. That thing barks whenever a blade of grass twitches. Lady is up all night, sleeps all day so I will walk by her fence on my way to work and get the dog yapping, which wakes her up.

[SeaMe]

If the gator can grab the dog, then the gator can grab the paddler. I wouldn't go near water where alligators have been sighted without some type of weapon handy.

[Ichabod Spoonbill]

I've never heard of a gator going after someone or some animal on a boat or board, although it's been a while since I lived there. They're mostly water stalkers and ambush hunters, so I think something on the board is not where it would naturally hunt.

However, if the dog (or person) is in the water, that's another story.

I might pose that question to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Those guys are experts in this sort of thing, which I am not:

http://myfwc.com