Florida family says dog survived alligator attack in their backyard

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A family in Wesley Chapel, Florida is traumatized after their rescue dog was attacked by an alligator in their backyard.

A video shows Zeus, a German Shepherd, standing on a leash with a gator lurking just beyond the fence, a chilling moment the family now views as a warning.

“We have a doggy door, and Zeus will go in and out of it whenever he wants,” said Susan Alkhatib. “We have it covered right now because of what happened.”

Earlier this week, Zeus stepped outside like any other night, only this time, an alligator was waiting.

“All of a sudden, I couldn’t hear him anymore,” one family member recalled. “My dad came in frantic. I’d never seen him like that. He said, ‘The alligator just took Zeus.’”

Alkhatib and her family ran outside with flashlights and caught a