Florida
Florida dog mom Kim Spencer pries open raging gator’s mouth to save her pooch: ‘We just got lucky’
A fearless Florida woman jumped on top of an alligator and pried its jaws open to save her beloved dog from being attacked during their nightly stroll.
Kim Spencer and her pooch, Kona, were on an evening walk in Tampa, Fla. when a 6-and-a-half-foot alligator emerged from a nearby lake and started heading their way, according to FOX 13.
Spencer tried to pull Kona away, but the ferocious predator was too fast and quickly caught up to them.
“I saw the eyes. I saw it turning itself around towards us, and I started pulling Kona away, saying, ‘Let’s go.’ But she’s a really strong dog,” Spencer told the outlet.
“She’s facing it, it’s facing her, and it suddenly jumped at her and got her.”
Kona’s entire head and right shoulder were inside the swamp beast’s mouth when the pet parent “stopped thinking” and risked her life to save her four-legged friend.
“[I] jumped on it, straddled it, as ladylike as that is, and was trying to pry its jaws open,” Spencer added.
The scuffle didn’t last long as Spencer pried the gator’s jaws wide enough to free her furry friend.
“We just got lucky because it ran,” Spencer said. “Just as quickly as it ran after us it went right back in the water and I got up and we were out of there.”
Both survived without significant injuries, but they did get wounded during the incident and both received stitches for their wounds.
The married dog owner has bandages on both hands while her precious pup has to wear a cone.
“We’re empty nesters, she’s my baby, so I wasn’t ready to take on that mindset that she’s an animal versus a human,” Spencer said.
Spencer said she and Kona — who she rescued 8 years ago — had been walking in the Westwood Lakes neighborhood when the gator launched its attack, according to Bay News 9.
Last September in Fort Myers – around 120 miles south of Tampa – an angry seven-foot, three-inch alligator attacked 84-year-old Dolores Boppel while she was on a walk with her dog near a pond.
The pooch was unharmed, but the dangerous animal took a “chunk” out of her leg and sent Boppel to the hospital.
In 2022, Eric Merda was swimming in Myakka City, Fla., when a gator took off his arm and left him stranded for three days in a swamp.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission estimated that the state has 1.3 million alligators “of every size” and reported 11 alligator bites in 2024 and 23 in 2023, one of which was fatal.
A majority of the bites from the swamp creatures result in “major” injuries.
Alligators “prefer to go after prey they can overpower easily” and are naturally scared of humans but “may lose that fear when people feed them,” the commission claimed.
Florida
Florida woman confesses to stabbing 76-year-old roommate to death, authorities say
A Florida woman confessed to stabbing her 76-year-old roommate to death before covering his body with a tarp, stealing his truck and driving away from the scene, according to authorities.
The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as Shannon R. Giblin, 48.
Shannon R. Giblin (Photo: Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office)
In a news release, the sheriff’s office said deputies were dispatched to a home on Sunday after they received a report about a person who was not breathing. When they arrived at the home, they found a man, later identified as Paul De Wayne Bradley, who was dead.
Police said they tracked Giblin down in Bradley’s truck, which was missing from the driveway, in Sarasota County.
“As Charlotte County detectives questioned Giblin, she provided a confession to stabbing Bradley following an argument,” Sheriff Bill Prummell said in the release.
“After realizing that the victim was beyond help, Giblin then covered Bradley with a tarp and left the scene in the victim’s pickup truck,” Prummell added.
Online jail records show Giblin was charged with second-degree murder, as well as grand theft of a motor vehicle.
“I want to recognize my Major Crimes detectives who worked this case through the night and identified the suspect quickly,” Prummell said. “They truly show a dedication to their craft and the results are irrefutable. I also want to thank the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office for their quick actions in locating and detaining her based on the intelligence my team was able to share. As I have always said, Southwest Florida is fortunate to have law enforcement who work together so effectively for the people we serve.”
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Giblin is being held without bond, according to the release.
Florida
Florida No Kings protests planned for Stuart, Fort Pierce
There are two No Kings protests planned for the Treasure Coast; one in Stuart and one in Fort Pierce.
No Kings Day protests are scheduled for March 28, with over a thousand protests planned across the United States.
Organizers say the No Kings events will challenge President Donald Trump as he escalates “his attempts to control us.” Dozens of protests are planned across Florida, including two on the Treasure Coast.
Here’s what to know about the protests.
What is a No Kings protest?
No Kings is a nationwide protest organized in response to President Donald Trump and his administration.
“It is on us, the people, to show that we will fight to protect one another and our country,” according to the nokings.org website. “If he believes we will roll over and allow him to take our freedoms, he is mistaken.”
One core principle of No Kings is a commitment to nonviolent action. The organization’s website states participants should seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with dissenters and act lawfully.
No Kings protest in Stuart
No Kings protest in Fort Pierce
No Kings protests in Florida
There are dozens of protests planned across Florida, including two on the Treasure Coast, with one in Stuart and one in Fort Pierce. Find a protest near you.
Olivia Franklin is TCPalm’s trending reporter. You can contact her at olivia.franklin@tcpalm.com, 317-627-8048 or follow her on X @Livvvvv_5.
Florida
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