30-06-2025
Adorable dog's haunting last moments before alligator ate her alive near home
Black german shepherd Nova was attacked by a vicious alligator as she entered the water behind Bob Carnes' home in South Carolina - with the terrifying encounter caught on his Ring Doorbell camera
The final moments of a beloved family pooch were caught as an alligator mauled her to death.
Bob Carnes, from Myrtle Beach in South Carolina, said his doorbell camera recorded the moment his beautiful black German Shepherd, Nova, was killed by the aggressive creature in a body of water behind his home.
Nova would often spend time on the dock near the family home and use the water as a way of cooling off, but after going for a dip on Sunday she never returned.
Bob and the rest of the family launched a massive search for the dog but they couldn't find her.
After checking the Ring doorbell camera, Bob and his family realised exactly what had happened to their beloved dog.
In the footage, Nova is seen meandering through the garden towards the waterway so she could cool off. Within seconds of her diving in, a yelp can be heard as she was grabbed by the monstrous predator.
Bob said watching the "difficult" footage confirmed their worst fears.
Speaking to WMBF-TV, he said: "We thought maybe she had ran up the road and got injured, but that was not the case.
"We watched the video, and it was very obvious what had happened. She was gone in seconds."
The heartbroken dog dad said Nova would often go to the waterway to hang out with her best pal, a local duck.
"She wasn't just a dog: she was a family member," Bob said. "She was just a great dog. She was amazing. She was a great family dog to the kids and the animals. She was full of energy."
Usually, Nova wore a GPS collar which would notify them if she went too close to the water, but on the day it was broken.
Bob is trying to draw attention to the danger posed by the vicious reptiles.
"She's much stronger than my grandson or granddaughter as far as swiftness and weighs more," he said. "They need to be very careful about letting their kids out there along that waterway. It seems like it's innocent when they're playing by the water, but it happens very fast."
It comes after a tourist was dragged to his death in a horrifying crocodile attack after ignoring clear warning signs at a game reserve that hosts live 'feeding experiences' earlier this month.
The 56-year-old father, visiting Bonamanzi Game Reserve in South Africa with his wife and children, walked past multiple large signs warning guests to stay clear of the water - and cast his fishing rod into the Hluhluwe River anyway.
Moments later, the surface erupted. A 12-foot crocodile launched from the shallows, clamping its jaws around his torso and dragging him into the river. The terrifying attack unfolded at the 4000-hectare reserve, around 150 miles north of Durban.
