LEE COUNTY, Fla. – A Florida dog whose rescue went viral last month has a brand new job.
Gunner, a 5-month-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, is now a “deputy dog” with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.
Video showing the dog’s owner, Richard Wilbanks, jumping into the water to save Gunner from a gator was shared thousands of times on social media.
Deputies say Gunner will work with them to help educate children about safety.
“Do you swear to up hold the constitutional law for the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Gunner,” Sheriff Carmine Marceno asked the pup.
In a video shared by the Sheriff’s Office Wilbanks retold the story of the wild encounter when he rescued Gunner from the jaws of an alligator.
“I just jumped in the water and caught up with the alligator and got my hands on ‘em,” Wilbanks said, adding “I just wasn’t going to let it have my puppy for breakfast.”
The images of the dramatic rescue were captured Oct. 25 by a Florida Wildlife Federation camera.
In a recent interview with News 6 Wilbanks said Gunner was not seriously injured.
“The alligator is still in the pond. It’s just fine. Gunner is fine, I’m fine and so am I,” Wilbanks said.
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Posted by Lee County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday, December 8, 2020