Woman Wrestles a Gator to Save Her 4-Legged Friend

Published July 23, 2015 1:30pm EDT

INVERNESS, FL- A Florida woman wrestled an alligator to save her beloved dog.

Lori Beiswenger sprang into action when a 7.5-foot gator attacked and dragged her dog Hope into a pond.

"I just said, 'God, no, this can't be happening, this can't be happening,'" she recalled.

Beiswenger grabbed the gator's tail and pulled on it until the alligator let go of Hope.

"I wasn't thinking," Beiswenger said. "It was the dumbest, bravest thing I've ever done, but I wasn't gonna let [Hope] go."

Hope will need surgery but is expected to be OK.