Officials searching for 10-foot gator that ate dog

Officials are searching for an alligator that they believe killed and ate a dog in St. Petersburg canal Monday night.

The dog, a mixed breed named Jett, was loose when the alligator got him. 

The incident happened near 11th Avenue South and 6th Street South.

Residents who live near the canal are concerned for their safety because they say the gator is not afraid of humans and has a taste for pets.

"My biggest fear is he's had a taste of dogs and he's going to want something better to eat," said Jett's owner, Henrietta Maouzon. "Like humans. It's going to be bold enough to come out of water to get a child. Because there's a lot of kids that come over here."

Mark Powell said he witnessed the alligator eat the dog.

"The dog was trying to swim away and the dog looked behind him and the alligator was up out of the water," he said. "He's not afraid of humans."

Alligator control says they've been searching for an alligator matching the description of this one for two years. Residents say the gator is at least 10-feet long and weighs several hundred pounds. 

"It's a dangerous thing," Powell said. "It's like a tiger or leopard out there. It's just that he can't climb a tree." 

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission has authorized alligator control agent Charles Carpenter to shoot and kill the giant gator on sight.