Sheriff urges parents, pet owners to use caution after gator attack

A St. Petersburg woman’s dog was killed by an alligator Wednesday and officials are reminding residents to be safe around the water.

The warning to pet owners and parents urging them to exercise caution around water after the attack came in a Facebook post from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies were called to the woman’s home on Criswell Avenue, near Joe's Creek, Wednesday, according to the post.

A 9-foot alligator had attacked the woman’s 75 pound Chow mix, and dragged the dog into the creek. Deputies were not able to rescue the dog, according to the post, however a trapper was able to remove the gator from the creek.

This story was originally published August 17, 2017 at 9:40 AM with the headline "Sheriff urges parents, pet owners to use caution after gator attack."