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American Morning

Across America: Man's Best Friend Takes on Florida Gator

Aired July 27, 2001 - 09:26   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Our "Across America" segment today takes us to Fort Myers, Florida. Wait till you hear this story. Man's best friend, or actually woman's best friend in this case, took on a 'gator to save his owner.

Reporter Abigail Bleck (ph) of our affiliate WINK has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Come on, boy.

ABIGAIL BLECK, WINK CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 2-1/2-year-old Blue is reluctant to go into his backyard.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Come on, Blue. Come on, boy.

BLECK: That's because on Tuesday, he met up with an alligator and has the wounds to prove it, almost 30 bite marks.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: I'm sure he knows that he got hurt back there.

BLECK: His 84-year-old owner Ruth Gay was walking him when she slipped on wet grass. She's in the hospital, not because of the 'gator attack, but because she broke both her shoulders and nose when she fell.

RUTH GAY, VICTIM: I knew that alligator had been hanging around all day and I was afraid it died. I just figured it had.

BLECK (on camera): Ruth was sprawled out in front of this canal for almost two hours, unable to move, before the Gibsons came home to rescue her. She says the entire time Blue was by her side.

GAY: I'm was deathly afraid and maybe he felt some of my fear. I don't know, you're awful smart.

BLECK: Smart the family already knew. But not Blue's being called a hero.

SYLVIA GIBSON, RUTH GAY'S DAUGHTER: You don't hear a lot of good stories and just to have one happen in your own backyard, so to speak, is really unique and special.

BLECK: Both Blue...

GAY: He's tough. He's real tough.

BLECK: ... and Ruth will be nursing their wounds for a little while and both are expected to recover fully.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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