N.C. officers kill alligator after it eats 80-pound dog

Local North Carolina public safety officers hunted down and killed a massive alligator after it ate an 80-pound Husky that was walking with its owner.

CBS affiliate WNCT reports from Jacksonville a woman was walking her dog without a leash at around dusk near Brooks Gruber Bridge when the 500-pound reptile snatched her pet. Police think the alligator may have mistaken the dog for a large duck.

"I'm not surprised because I live in apartments just across the road and my landlord says there are gators in the water, and I always see kids and their parents by the water," said Jacksonville resident Jennifer Simmons.

Authorities returned to the area Wednesday to find and kill the gator. Police fired at it three times with a high-powered rifle and then pulled it out of the water.

Deputy Chief Patrick of the Jacksonville Police Department said the alligator was too big to relocate, and they decided to kill the reptile in the interest of public safety.

Wildlife officials also told WNCT reporter Madeleine Wright that part of the dog turned up in the gator's mouth.

In response, Jacksonville officials put up signs warning residents about alligators and encouraging them not to feed the ducks.