SATELLITE BEACH, Fla. – Robert Pettitt who lives on the Grand Canal said he’s now heartbroken for a dog owner in his neighborhood.
“This is the first time I’ve heard of a crocodile grabbing a dog,” Pettitt said about the attack.
The FWC said it received the report of the deceased dog in the mouth of the crocodile on Monday.
Another neighbor, Eric Sedej, said he recorded the little dog in the croc’s mouth.
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“You think, ‘Crocodile, that’s pretty scary. It could eat animals or people,’” Sedej said. “So when I saw it had a dog, I was like, ‘Alright, everyone’s fear just came true.’”
The dog owner also lives on the water, and he said his pug was in the backyard for just five minutes before his pet disappeared.
In 2019, neighbors recorded an American Crocodile in another Satellite Beach canal, and as recently as May, Satellite Beach police said the FWC relocated a crocodile that found its way onto someone’s driveway.
The state’s wildlife authority said sightings have increased in recent years in part because the crocodile population is growing.
A map from the state shows Brevard County is now the northern extent of their range.
“We really don’t know much about these crocs,” Pettitt said about his neighbors. “They haven’t really been around people.”
The FWC said crocodiles are shy and reclusive around people, but pets should be kept on a leash and away from the water.
A news release reads the FWC searched for the crocodile and the missing dog but didn’t find them.
“It’s just been a terrible story, and my heart goes out (over) the loss of his dog,” Pettitt said. “Because I just know it just has to be very difficult for them.”
The FWC said it is “continuing to monitor the situation.”
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