Help Zeus Recover After a Gator Attack

On Monday night, our beloved dog Zeus was sitting peacefully in the lanai with my dad when he heard a small animal in the backyard. He instinctively ran out the doggy door to investigate—but within seconds, a large alligator broke through our fence and attacked him.

The gator grabbed Zeus and dragged him back into the water. We rushed outside with a flashlight and were shocked to see Zeus swimming back toward us, wounded but fighting to survive. My mom waded into the water to help him out, and we rushed him to the nearest emergency vet as he was bleeding heavily from his mouth.

Miraculously, Zeus survived. He had a fractured, displaced jaw and multiple puncture wounds around his neck. The vet told us the gator had just missed his jugular—it looked like Zeus’s entire head had been in the gator’s mouth. The fact that he made it out alive is nothing short of a miracle.

Today, Zeus underwent emergency oral surgery. The vet had to close internal mouth lacerations, manually realign his jaw, and wire it together. He’ll now need to wear a muzzle 24/7 for 4–6 weeks, be syringe-fed a full liquid diet, and undergo another surgery in 8 weeks to remove the wires and extract several teeth for long-term comfort.

We’re doing everything we can to help our boy heal, but the cost of his care has become overwhelming and unexpected. If you know Zeus, you know he’s a fighter—playful, loving, and obsessed with his green ball. We just want to see him happy and healthy again.

Any help or support during this time—whether it’s through donations, sharing this story, or just keeping Zeus in your thoughts—means the world to us. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

With gratitude,

The Alkhatib Family