A Perilous Edge
The puppy’s front paws scrambled against the slick, exposed cypress roots along the steep water’s edge. Below his dangling hind legs, dark swamp water rippled softly as a wide, scaly snout surfaced.
An alligator glided steadily through the duckweed, its yellow eyes locked onto the struggling brown pup. Up on the muddy lip of the bank, an adult chocolate Labrador barked sharply into the humid air.
The older dog paced back and forth across the edge, lowering his snout toward the pup before looking back into the thick trees. The distance between the reptile’s snout and the dangling puppy shrank with every passing second.
A Plea For Help
The adult Labrador spun around, kicking up wet mud as he bolted into the timber. His paws splashed through shallow puddles as he bounded toward a clearing where an angler stood holding a fishing rod.
The dog charged directly up to the man in the bright orange jacket, barking and ducking his head. He took two steps backward, turned toward the riverbank, and looked back over his shoulder to make sure the man followed.
The fisherman dropped his tackle box straight into the mud. He set his rod aside and jogged behind the panting dog, matching the animal’s frantic strides through the cypress knees.
Reaching Into The Murk
The adult dog led the man straight to the drop-off and planted all four feet at the rim. The fisherman dropped to his knees, planting his rubber boots firmly into the damp soil.
Peering down over the root tangle, the man spotted the puppy clinging to a slender branch just inches above the surface. Only a few yards away, the alligator drifted onward, its serrated tail sweeping side to side beneath the murky waterline.
The man leaned his upper body out over the dirt ledge, pressing his chest against the bank. He stretched both arms downward through the web of exposed roots, extending his open palms toward the whimpering puppy.
His fingers wrapped around the pup’s wet chest and pulled upward. Mud sloughed off the dog’s paws as the man hoisted him free from the roots, lifting him straight into the air just as the reptile reached the embankment.
Safe On Dry Ground
The man pulled his weight back onto the grass, clutching the small brown dog tight against his chest. He set the trembling puppy down onto the firm turf beside him.
The older Labrador immediately pressed his nose against the puppy’s ear, sniffing his wet fur and licking the top of his head. The small pup shook water from his back, wagged his tail, and leaned into the older dog’s flank.
The fisherman sat back on his heels, resting one hand on the puppy’s back and stroking the older dog’s neck with the other as the alligator turned slowly in the dark river behind them.
Send this to someone who knows dogs are true protectors.
