Alligator suspected of killing dog captured in Port Orange

PORT ORANGE, Fla. (AP) – An alligator suspected of killing a dog in a Port Orange subdivision has been captured.

Local media outlets report a trapper caught and killed the alligator on Wednesday. Officials say the dog’s body was pulled from a lake in the neighborhood Monday.

Trappers believe the dog, which residents described as a large breed, was attacked after it went missing Thursday from a nearby home.

Florida Fish and Wildlife officers gave the order for trappers to find the alligator.

Alligator trapper Curtis Lucas told The Daytona Beach News-Journal that he won’t have proof if the 9-foot-1-inch male reptile is the culprit in the dog’s death until he looks at its stomach contents.

Lucas says the state requires nuisance alligators over 4 feet to be exterminated. Smaller gators are relocated.