‘My worst nightmare’: Woman says 10-foot alligator killed her dog during walk at lakefront

KENNER, La. (WVUE/Gray News) - A Louisiana resident says a quiet weekend walk along the lakefront in Kenner quickly turned into a tragic event.

Jessica Reynolds was walking Saturday morning with her 6-year-old pit bull, Brownie, on a trail near a pumping station in the Laketown area of the city.

She had Brownie on a leash and took him to the canal so he could get a sip of water.

But what happened next, she says, has left her traumatized.

“He was getting water; next thing I knew, the gator was grabbing him by the chest and dragging him under,” Reynolds said. “It was my worst nightmare ever.”

Reynolds estimated the alligator was about 10 feet long. She said she has been dealing with a previously injured ankle and couldn’t do much to save Brownie.

“That thing was huge, and me with a broken ankle, I didn’t have much strength to do much. I had to let Brownie go. He never came back up,” Reynolds said.

There were posted signs warning about the presence of alligators near the pumping station. Reynolds said she has seen gators in the canal before, but on that particular day, nothing seemed strange.

“It is very common practice for alligators to grab a prey item and immediately bring it down underneath the surface of the water,” Jeb Linscombe, alligator program manager at the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, said.

Linscombe said alligators are common throughout southeast Louisiana, and whether you’re with a pet or a child, you should be aware of them whenever you’re near water.

“The main thing is that you just have to be vigilant and understand that at any time there could be an alligator present. Just because you don’t see one doesn’t mean there’s not one there,” Linscombe said.

Following Saturday’s attack, Linscombe said Wildlife and Fisheries agents removed an 11-foot gator from the area later in the day.

Reynolds said remains of Brownie washed up along the canal and she had those remains cremated on Monday.

“He was a great dog. He was loving; we raised him to be loving around our kids,” Reynolds said. “Don’t bring them [your pets] by the water because you never know. Unfortunately, I’m a testament to that now.”