Sabol the dog was attacked after she slipped away from her owners for a few seconds

Sabol the dog has some serious stitches, but her tail is still wagging.

According to WPTV 5, the Labrador and Dachshund mix ran off from her owner for a brief moment while on a walk in West Delray Regional Park in Delray Beach, Florida.

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Sabol was only away from her owner for a few seconds when an alligator lurking in a pond attacked her. The dog’s owner found the black canine bleeding on the grass from a serious bite wound on her belly. Sabol’s pet parent acted fast, rushing the dog to Clint Moore Animal Hospital, where veterinarians performed a two-and-a-half hour emergency surgery.

Sabol pulled through her alligator chomp like a champ and is expected to make a full recovery. The dog’s resilience shocked vets, who often see pets die from gator bites.

To prevent further alligator-related injuries, the staff at Clint Moore Animal Hospital advise that Florida dog owners always keep their pets by their side, making sure to secure dogs on-leash if they are by a body of water.

“I just wouldn’t let them really close to the edge of the water,” Dr. Brian Butzer told WPTV 5. “Because that’s where those animals hide, and they’re going to wait for a dog to come along and they’re going to grab them.”