5-foot alligator captured after entering home through doggy door

By Barney Riley via SWNS

A sleeping couple was stunned after a five-foot-long alligator broke into their home through the doggy door.

Don Schulz found the reptile in the hallway in the middle of the night after the family dog barked and woke him and partner Jan up.

Wearing just his underwear, Don grabbed his firearm thinking a two-legged intruder had broken into his home in New Iberia, Louisiana.

Don wandered into the hallway but couldn't make out the shape.

When he realized what it was he stepped back after his foot was only 12 inches from the 'gator's jaws.

Don called the Sheriff's Office, who called in the Fish and Wildlife Department.

The 'gator was then captured and restrained by the authorities.

Don said: "Panda, our Australian Cattledog, growled a bit in bed at 1:30 this morning.

"Jan tapped me and said she thinks someone is in the house. I grabbed my pistol and in my underwear. I turned the corner into the hallway.

"It was dark, but I stopped because I could see a shape on the edge of the rug. I couldn’t focus very good having just woke up.

"But when the full shape registered in my brain I jumped back. My foot had only been about 12 inches away from its head!

"I yelled to Jan that there was an alligator in the hallway.

"She thought I was full of s*** , so I took a pic and showed her. Then called the sheriff’s office.

"The 'gator was about five feet long and it came into the house through the dog door.

"The expert thought that since it’s been so hot for the last couple of weeks, it felt the cool air seeping out from around the dog door and just followed it into the house.

"I only run the a/c to the bedroom zones at night so it followed the cool breeze to the far end of the hallway and was lying right below the cold air return."

The footage was captured on June 24.