A woman has shared the terrifying moment she spotted an alligator swimming in the same lake her pups were paddling in at a dog park in South Carolina.
Amy, who posts under the username @youweremadeforthis on TikTok, captured the heart-stopping incident on video, which has since gone viral, garnering over 662,000 views and more than 31,200 likes.
In the clip, her pets can be seen enjoying a swim at a fenced dog park before Amy notices an alligator lurking ominously behind them. She can be heard urgently calling for them to return, which—thankfully—they do, making it out of the water unharmed. “My dogs out swam a gator today at the dog park,” Amy wrote in the caption.
Amy said: “I don’t know if he was for sure going for them or not but it scared the heck out of me. My family has had to wrestle 2 separate alligators who had their dogs before. We won both times, but I’m not trying to be the third incident.”
While the sight of alligators near dogs is terrifying, it is not entirely uncommon in certain parts of the U.S.—especially the Southeast.
Dog parks, while offering social and physical benefits for canines, also come with risks depending on their location.
The DogsGo company says that off-leash dog parks can improve a canine’s social skills, reduce boredom, and allow for more-intense physical activity. However, owners should always consider their surroundings and supervise pups closely—especially near bodies of water.
In regions like South Carolina where gators are native, PetMD recommends avoiding walking dogs where alligators are known to live, not letting them roam unattended, particularly during the night when the reptiles are most active.
Stock image: Dogs swim in a lake.
Anna-av/iStock / Getty Images Plus
The video sparked heated debate in the comment section.
“Why would you let your dogs swim in water with gators?” asked one user named Lisa.
Amy quickly responded: “This is in South Carolina at a fenced dog park where dogs swim every day. Calm down y’all.”
Others weighed in with concerns and relief: “This is why it’s important to have well trained dogs that listen,” said one viewer.
“Dogs could never outswim a gator—they’re very fast in the water. He could’ve got those dogs at any time if he really wanted them,” posted another.
“Omg [oh my God] I would just die if I saw my dog get eaten by an alligator!!! Please don’t let them go in where there are alligators,” added Kimberly Robins.
“Crazy this is at a dog park!! Thank goodness you got them out safely!!” wrote another commenter.
Newsweek reached out to @youweremadeforthis for comment via TikTok. We could not verify the details of the case.
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