Hilton Head-area pet owners issued warning after lost dog ‘tragically’ killed by alligator
Beaufort County Animal Services issued a warning to local pet owners after an alligator killed a lost dog in Sun City over the weekend.
The lost boxer “Nana” was reported missing Sunday on Facebook. In an update posted early Tuesday morning, a friend of the owner said the dog “came into contact with an alligator on the golf course in Sun City.”
Tallulah Trice, director of Beaufort County Animal Services, confirmed the post’s authenticity but said the dog was not reported missing to her department.
Animal Services urged all pet owners to keep dogs away from any water that might be home to gators, including lakes, lagoons and man-made retention ponds.
Alligators across Beaufort County are emerging from their hiding spots as the species finishes brumation, a state similar to hibernation wherein reptiles become highly inactive and conserve energy during the winter months.
Gators are commonly known to attack dogs that approach the apex predators in the Hilton Head Island area. The majority of recent alligator attacks on humans in Beaufort County occurred as residents were walking their dogs near a body of water.
As of Wednesday afternoon, it was unclear if Sun City had euthanized the alligator that killed the dog. The South Carolina Department of Resources issues a select number of “tags” to private communities allowing for the killing of nuisance alligators.
Sun City’s security office did not immediately respond to a phone call on Wednesday.
This story was originally published March 26, 2025 at 3:56 PM.
