Ammon News - A Florida woman taking her dog for a walk near a creek ended up punching an alligator in the face to rescue the canine from the predator's jaws.

Land O' Lakes resident Danie Wright said she and her 4-month-old shih tzu, Dax, were walking along a stagnant creek behind her house when the 5-foot gator struck.

"I turned and looked, and an alligator had him," Wright told The New York Times. "The alligator's front teeth were through the collar of my dog."

The alligator started dragging Dax into the water, leading Wright to fight back.

"I just punched him, punched and punched," she told WTSP-TV. "I punched him in the eye enough that he kind of let go, he unclamped a little, and I pulled off, but his teeth dragged down my arm."

Wright was able to flip the alligator onto its back, allowing her and Dax to flee inside the house. She recorded video of the gator lurking behind her home after the attack.

The alligator was removed from the property by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission trappers.

UPI