(UPI) A Florida man said he ended up in a fist fight with a 13-foot alligator when the reptile attacked his dog and pulled the canine into the water.

Trent Tweddale said he and his 6-year-old dog, Loki, were walking Monday on his Wesley Chapel farm when a 13-foot alligator reached out of the water and grabbed the dog.

"I grabbed the dog's collar to try to pull him back and I ended up in a tug-of-war match with this gator and the gator was not letting go," Tweddale told WFLA-TV. So I let go of the collar and I got about knee-deep into the water and started pounding on the gator's head until he eventually let go.

Tweddale said he ended up with only minor scratches, but Loki's front leg was nearly severed and required emergency surgery.

"When I pulled him back up, the bones were out and it looks like the arm was just hanging by a shred," Tweddale said. They put metal plates and screws in and were able to reconstruct it that way. We're hoping that he can regain full use of his paws after this.

He said a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission trapper helped him set a trap for the gator on his property.

"The trapper did not have any bait, so I grabbed one of my roosters and we used him as bait for the trap. We haven't had any luck yet," Tweddale said. We love our dog a lot and I'd fight tooth and nail for him.

Tweddale said he has six more roosters in his freezer that could be used as bait.

Copyright 2020 by United Press International