I do not think it is appropriiate to post a story about killing an innocent alligator, nor post a picture of a person posing with the gator. I'm a strong gun supporter and an owner, but I am not happy about this article and how MSNBC shows how "proud" the homeowner is of the death of god's creature.

Sincerely,

Gary E. Meyer

That's incredible! Such crazy things happening in the midst of a crazy natural disaster.

There was no need to kill this reptile...I really dont think he was planning to "climb" stairs if his "tail" was facing them.
There are always alternatives that don't involve...guns... Her father probably was just trigger happy. The nerve to take a picture with a full smile.
The alligator should have taken a bite!

It's nature folks, nothing else. If you live in the NW USA, you'll see Grizzlies. If you live in the Southern USA, you'll see gators. Not sure why everyone is acting like they spotted a reindeer. The gator was probably drawn to the house by the smell of the deer. Usually deer don't have to worry about gators.

There was no reason to kill the gator at all. Hopefully it made somebody feel like a man to cowardly shoot an unsuspecting animal who clearly was just as troubled by the storm surge as he was.

Its a shame the alligator's life had to be ended after ending up in the wrong place. Not the gators fault for not reading the signs, or is it the people fault for being scared and not being more tolorant. After all the house was trashed by teh floor waters and not suitable for them at the time. IF everyone shot a gator each time they saw one then there would be none. The father should be sighted and give a heavy ticket for discharging a gun in a house and kiiling a gator taht did not attack anyone. It may have just moved on if they made noise. Sad.

Seems to me someone cold make a horror movie out of this: Part One:The Alligator Downsttairs. Part II The Alligators in Washington.

I don't know what I'd do if a gator showed up in my house. Cursing and running would probably be part of my reaction, though.

Did you have to kill it? That seems a bit harsh. The poor creature was probably scared as well!

Pets in the house!

I WOULD HAVE SHOT IT IF PUT IN THIS SITUATION SAYING IT WAS WRONG TO SHOOT THE ANIMAL IS LIKE SAYING ITS WRONG TO SHOOT A GRIZZLY BEAR THAT COMES INTO YOUR HOUSE YOU HAVE TO PUT YOURSELVES IN THE POSITION OF HE FAMILY

So the alligator died, who cares. Thousands of people are killed everyday and you dont shed a tear for any of them!

Unfortunatly, sometimes the gator doesn't give one the option of saving it's life. It's too bad he had to go but sometimes it is the only way to remove them. Oh yeah, they bite too.

Your right the gator may have just went away but what if he didn't? Sometimes people are faced with tuff descions, and it just so happened that this one was happening in the worst of times that many of these people have ever had. You shouldn't judge someone until you walk a mile in their soaked shoes.

I use to live in New Orleans and yes we are use to seeing alligators BUT not in our house. I think he should of shot it if it acted like it was going to attack but with these alligators you just never know how they are going to act.

Hey, here in Southern California we have bears in swimming pools, lions in the back yards, racoons in the attics, opossums under the houses, and naked people on our beaches. Heck, a gator might be nice to clear out all the critters.
ps It's 88 degrees here - eat your hearts out!

I think it's ridiculous to claim that they should have handled the gator in another way. The town and their home were completely decimated and their first response should be to call the authorities to have them take the gator away? Be realistic… saving the life of the gator was secondary to saving their own and finding a dry place to sleep.

That is an interesting story. NOw for everyone who is crying about killing an alligator. Im sure you probably would have done the same thing if you were in there shoes.

New Shoes, anyone?

This poor creature, how could someone harm it? What kind of questions are these? If you had a gator in your house that just ate a deer you might think differently. He will get hungry again and the size of it would definately pose a potential threat to humans. I assume everyone that posted such questions never eats any meat as the poor innocent cow, pig and fish are killed and definately not a threat to any lives.

ok - let's stop thinking about ourselves - what if the gator got loose and killed someone else - someone floating by etc - think about the big picture - gators can be replpaced, people can't.

I think that before you make comments like "How could you shoot it?!", you have to remember what these people were going through at the time. I think that when you are in a life-threatening situation, you react differently than a couple months later sitting at your desk, reading a BLOG. YOU are the ones who need to show some compassion.

Geez, people!! What kind of posts would there have been if the man and his family would have been eaten by the alligator while retrieving family heirlooms? Let's see..."If he had a gun, he probably could have killed it before it killed him!" or "What's wrong with that guy...sitting upstairs with a shotgun while his daughter is being eaten by an 'innocent' alligator!? Why didn't he do something?"

I'd like to know if Mr. Meyer is a hunter since he is a gun owner? Or does he "collect" so that people can steal the guns and in turn, shoot real innocents?

Oh my god people, get over yourselves and the "why did they have to kill it!" After surviving the horrible storms, they acted rationally considering all they went through! Just think if you came down the stairs and found a gator hanging out in your living room! I doubt you'd consider its feelings and try to save it! You would or should worry about saving your family!!!!! These people suffered enough, do you really need to judge their actions!

Seems to me that dispatching the alligator with a bullet was going to be the safest way of getting it out of the house. Given the amount of work that still needs to be done just cleaning up, let alone repairing, shooting a gator is the least of their worries. Anybody who had criticism about the actions ever come face to face with an alligator? How about trying to get one out of your house. It's hard enough to get one out of your backyard,let alone out of your home. A little compassion folks - please! Send the Lysol!

Had to laugh at some of the comments, especially the ones about animal cruelty and "acting like they spotted a reindeer." There is a heard of reindeer less than 10 miles from my house. I guaruntee you if a reindeer or an aligator came in my house I'd shoot it, for a variety of reasons. Seems to me being nice to an aligator amid the turmoil of a hurrican makes little sense.

I don't like to see any animal shot/mistreated/abandoned or in anyway hurt on purpose. But if you had just survived a storm like Katrina, your house was destroyed and you have had to listen to a deer being eaten alive - now come on - I think I would have done the same thing. I live on a bayou in the Pass (12 ft. water in our houes) and these gators come up into people's yards and sometimes have snatched dogs, just happened to a friend of mine and she saw it taking place. How horrible is that?

My thoughts and prayers are with this family and all the others in Perlington. My sister from Calif. asked my suggestions on "adopting" a family and I recommended they research Perlington because they really have been forgotten.

There was absolutely no needc to kill this gator. They were in no danger as the gator probably could not even climb stairs. This is nothing more then cruelty to animals.

You guys need to get some perspective. Under those conditions, in that situation, I would have done the same thing. Being trapped in your house is bad enough. Being trapped in your house with a very large, dangerous animal is more worry than I think I would want to deal with. One less thing to worry about.

When the gator got hungry again and could not get out of the house who do you think would be next?

I think that the father owed it to his family to protect them from the gator. After all, they did survive the worst storm in modern history. How would he have felt if his 5 year old went downstairs and was eaten becausse some hippies didn't want him to shoot the gator. Get real people

Anything that can kill me and is in my house unwanted would be dispatched by any means possible!

I think alot of the people who read this and commented on how the "poor" allegator didn't need to be shot have missed the point. Allegators are not pets, they can be agressive, they have killed people and are quite dangerous. Imagine how you would've felt if you got all GreenPeace about it, let the gator loose and it killed someone else...

A little brainpower could have easily sent the gator on its way without shooting it... shooting it was just the easiest (and dumbest) way. In their defense though, sitting in the dark through hurricane winds, cold, stressed, scared, and tired, perhaps shooting it was the best thing to do at the time.

It's the circle of life...I would have done the same thing in that situation. They had to go back downstairs to get keepsakes. Personally I would rather have my family heirlooms and pictures than save an alligator.

Who were they going to call for help ??.Maybe they didn't want to take any chances of being the alligators next meal..People can't say how they would react unless they are put in that postion...

What is incredible is all of these posts concerned about the "innocent" alligator. You expected them to just sleep comfortably with a 12' alligator in the house? Upset over an alligator, but probably support taking human life (abortion). Besides, it wasn't "innocent," it had just murdered a deer!

It's a wacko world we live in.

As a vegetarian I feel regret that any living being is killed, but what type of loons think an alligator is anything but a large cold-blooded predator? Any individual living outside of the Gulf Coast Region should review the Food Chain before siding with a reptile capable of eating a deer.

Shame on the homeowner - enough said!

Gators in the house....I'm more hung up on the deer and bat AND gator on the first floor. I don't think they should have shot the gator, but I can't say what I'd do in that situation. I don't own a gun, and don't ever intend to own one, so who knows....I might have done the same thing. I love animals, but a gator??? That might be a stretch for me.

I'm glad they killed the gator. In dire situations like this, the strongest survive. I wouldn't hesitate to shoot the gator if I was in the same position.

Waiting to see how Bush gets blamed for this one too... ;)

As for those that are upset about the alligator being shot, put yourself in that house: You've spent 24 hours with your family in the top level of your now flooded and destroyed home after one of the most powerful hurricanes ever, not sure if or when help will arrive. After a terrifying evening in which you've heard an animal being slaughtered (why aren't people upset about the alligator killing the deer? LOL), you find a 15-20 foot gator at the foot of your stairs. You are fortunate enough to possess a weapon capable of killing such a beast. So, being in their postion, do you know the answers to the following questions:
-Will the waters continue to rise?
-Was Bambi merely an appetizer?
-Will the house collapse?
-Are there more alligators down there?
-If so, are they forming a strategy to either eat us or help rescue us?
-Does anyone know how to contact Steve Irwin to find out if alligators/crocodiles can climb stairs?

You'd have a difficult time convincing any reasonable person to NOT shoot an alligator at a time like that. Hopefully a few of you won't ever have to face a survival situation, as I don't think you'd be able to pass along pictures of how it turned out.

Maybe if the gator were running away with a tub full of Heineken, then people wouldn't feel as sorry for it... ;)

Change the animals from an alligator and a deer to a rat and a hamster and you would get very different reactions from the folks in New York and New Jersey!

These people were trapped in their house with an alligator and you criticize them for killing it? Moreover, you do this without knowing the full story? You have no idea whether they needed to make trips downstairs from time to time and would have risked an encounter. You have no idea whether there were young children in the house. You actually have no idea of anything except that these people killed an alligator in their home. If someone had been seriously injured or killed by this alligator would you have the same attitude?

Please people, get a grip. There was an alligator in their house, unfortunately these people have to salvage whatever they have. Do you really think that they could pick up the phone to call a wildlife officer to help them get it out of there house? How many people died in the Hurricane...pick the right thing to worry about!!

I probably would worry about my life first and think later about the gators. Everyone who is so worried about sparing the life of a gator I bet you too would think differently if you were in that situation. So don't talk so fast!

I'd have killed the gator as well! Shot it 2x just to make sure. I've got 4 kids. Let's see, be nice to the gator or protect my family. Not really a decision for me. Should have eaten it, that's all I'd add.

GOD CREATED ALL KINDS, HE DOESNT LIKE UGLY! FIX THINGS THE RIGHT WAY THATS WHY HE GAVES US BRAINS? BE THANKFULL HE CREATED EARTH.

It's pretty easy to judge when the alligator isn't in your living room with the potential to cause injury to your children.

With the homeowner stuck on a roof for days following a Category 5 event, I suspect his options for calling professional animal control personnel were limited.

I am appalled that he would shoot the alligator. If I was anywhere near him, I would show him a place to put that gun. The alligator was trying to survive those horriffic conditions too. I find it hard to believe that it would come up the stairs after the family. You mean that during all of this chaos they had time to shoot it and take candid shots with the carcus? What is wrong with these people?

The comments critizing the homeowner for shooting the gator are, in my opinion, a bit silly. Alligators are extremely dangerous, and just because he wasn't facing the stairs didn't mean he couldn't turn around!

While I am no gun-toting advocate of killing animals "just because", I know there are LOTS of alligators and they are in no way endangered. In an already dangerous situation, I believe the homeowner had every right to take drastic measures.

I was saddened to hear about the poor deer! Having heard it screams would upset me for months. It's a shame that the father shot the gator, but I'm sure they felt quite threatened by it. What happened to the snakes?

Is it really a big deal that they shot the gator?? What would your instincts tell you to do if a gator was in your house? It might not have been threatening at the time, but if you live in the South you know how threatening gators can be. Would you have rather them waited and gotten attacked by it? You do have to remember that this was after a hurricane and it probably would have taken a long time to get someone in there to remove the gator. Were they supposed to stay upstairs in their house for days or more until the gator decided to leave on its own?

It's a shame, Another casualty but it would certainly make a nice pair of boots and a purse.

It seems a shame to have had to waste the meat. With proper refrigeration, a family who appears to have lost everything, may have received some unexpected bounty from the storm. I doubt the local stores would be stocked with shrink wrapped meat on styrofoam plates for some time.

Seems to me that the dad did the right thing. As I live in the south I know just how quickly that could have turned into a bad situation. God Bless all those families.

They didnt ahve to kill the alligator. But probably did it out of ignorant fear. It was downstairs big deal. it would have left on its own. It's not a maneater and would climb the stairs for some human snacks. Just plain ignorance of people. Animals dont attack people for food it is always mistaken identity or them attacking in fear of us. I'm a avid gun and hunting supporter but this is just plain ignorant.

Hey, here in Southern California we have bears in swimming pools, lions in the back yards, racoons in the attics, opossums under the houses, and naked people on our beaches. Heck, a gator might be nice to clear out all the critters.
ps It's 88 degrees here - eat your hearts out!

i would have gone down when i heard the deer scream. i respond to any animal in pain if i can. i don't know how they could just listen to a deer scream when they had a gun. i would have shot both.

Why are people giving her or her father a hard time about killing a beast that was in her home? You saw how long it took response teams to respond, this would have a low priority if it would have been called in. You did the right thing by doing what you did. It's so easy to say "Don't Kill the Alligator" when your hiding behind a computer sitting in the air conditioned home, you have no idea what living conditions she and her dad were going through at the time. The other replies are almost laughable, Oh God get a grip people.

How in the he!! can you feel sorry for an alligator! I have grown up in the woods of Florida living around alligators all of my life. They are predators people to humans and animals. Get a grip on reality. I can promise you that alligator in your home, needs to be a dead alligator.

This animal was huge and most likely lived a long life.What is the big deal? Lots of poeple pay a lot of money to hunt these things. This guy got it for free!!!Fight or flight is a natural reaction, and this gentleman isn't unique in that respaect.Besides the chick in the picture is kinda cute, so that makes up for any misdeed done to the reptile.

After what that family had to go through with the storm was enough.To listen to a poor deer getting ate up should have sounded very disturbing and scared.Thay had all the right to get rid of that gator by all means necessary.

All of you that are saying "That poor alligator" should have to come face to face with one. RELAX TREEHUGGERS! I would have blown the alligator to bits had it happened to me

I am so glad that after reading each of these blogs there are still a few sane people who can rationalize a terrible situation. I cant believe the ignorance of the individuals who feel sorry for the alligator. ARE YOU SERIOUS? Take a quick second to use your minimal brain power and put yourself in that poor families shoes... Dark, cold, wet, unsure, unsafe...oh, and a huge aligator downstairs that could easily make its way up stairs if water continued to rise...hmmmm...Does your brain hurt yet, idiots? Should I load the gun for you?

Well living in New Jersey and visiting the South often if I had a gun and a gator got in the house tail facing me or not he would be a dead gator. As for the rats in New Jersey and New York and we had water up to our eyes balls I'd be shooting them suckers, too. Oh poor little rats they bite give rabies, dead rats.

You're FAMOUS Annie! I'm sending you a copy of the picture and I want it signed and returned. . .

Send my love to your family please.

Most of the people who oppose shooting the creature, obviously live where there are no gators.. SO get over it and realize that it is a dangerous creature! especially in a confined area like a house.

My flabber is gasted that so many writers think the homeowner did wrong by dispatching the gator to great beyond. Really now! Should they have waited to see if he/it approved of sharing space with them?

I think we should all stop and thank GOD for just being alive today. As for the Gator I would have did the same thing. I watch Steve how much help is surrounding him when he is dealing with the gators. The father did the right thing. I agreed with one of the other writer what kind of world are we living in. Live or die reptile on board

What would you have done in that family's position. I am sure that you would not have looked the gator in the eye and asked him to leave. Come on. This family had been trapped in their home for 24 hours prior to being rescued. They did not want to say "We survied the storm but were eaten by an alligator". People take things to seriously. I am sure the people that are saying that poor creature would have reacted the same way.

Gators can easily climb stairs! I lived in FL and saw pictures of a gator going over a 5ft chain link fence to get the small dog in the yard. The family was definitely in great danger, so shooting the gator was a rational decision.

wow. All I want to know is that anybody make any boots, suitcase, or fancy belts outta the thing?

waste not, that's what I say.

I hope the guy gets a nice pair of boots and some gator Ka-bobs out of that thing.

Oh and what about that poor screaming deer? (yes, gators are known to pick off a deer or two from time to time when deer go to water) I'm sure the deer would have preferred that the gator be shot prior to its arrival...

The problem with this story isn't the action taken by the father. The real issue is the picture of the dead alligator. Who needs to see that, let alone with a girl next to it grinning ear to ear?

Short-sighted readers like Nancy Wolf may attribute this outrage to people living in states in the Northeast. However, I think that most intelligent readers understand that protecting one's family is one of the strongest impulses on earth. The man did what he did, and we can't judge him until we step in those shoes. However, MSNBC doesn't need to glamorize the slaughter by displaying it on the front page.

I think you did the right thing by shooting the gator. You never know what will happen and you cant perdict what a wild animal will do to survive. There was no animal cruelty just instinct to protect his family.

If it was a looter in the house and someone shot him or her people would probably say well they got what was comming to him, and yet they worry about a gator. Lets get real, at the end of the day my life or anyone elses will not change cause they shot it.

Maybe they wanted to fry it up and make some Gator Tators and that's why she has that "Yum Yum" look on her face!! Better her than the gator having a Yum Yum look on her face. Speaking of face, let's face it, there's too many people in the world and the real misfortune of Katrina is that 40k people DIDN'T die in NOLA and maybe a few more Gators would still be alive. Let's see now, 300 million Americans -vs- how many Gators (no...not Alumni!)...I'd say Humans are the odds on favorites and the Gator knew he had it coming and that's why he ate his last Venison supper. Animals Killing Animals....it's a Max-X moment!

The person did the right thing by killing the gator. If the animal got up the stairs and hurt or killed someone, the same lizard huggers above would be saying, "why didn't they do something when they had the chance?" The family may have had to exit from below later. I say if a wild animal has gotten in the house that has the capability of killing you...kill it first.

Having never faced an alligator in my living room, and being unfamiliar with how well the average alligator responds to commands like, "Shoo!", I'm not going to judge the gentleman too harshly for deciding he had to shoot it (though I do think it's a shame it had to be killed).

However, the photo of the grinning young woman next to the dead animal is just too bizarre. "Look, everyone! A great, big, dead, stinking, bloody animal! COOL, huh?" She looks like somone from one of those Abu Graib photos. Ugh.

Look how long it took Fema to help! Would you want to wait that long for animal control...with the phone lines down, the roads flooded and no way for anyone to actually come get the gator out anyway. How could anyone in their right mind think these people, with all that they had been through, should have saved the gator. People do come first, especially in this type of situation.

These were people powerless against the hurricane, and I'm sure, frightened. Killing the gator put them back in charge for awhile. Take THAT, Mother Nature.

Gee Mates, it appears to me that considering the circumstances...killer hurricane, rising water, uncertainty about one's ability to survive, an "edible" deer being eaten by and "edible" gator in an "edible" person's living room that the choice would be simple...Kill the gator, eat what's left of the deer, (save the rack for mounting if you can) and let the bat go free to haunt another day. Laast but not least, when things dry out a bit, have Gator Taile Barbecue for the neighborhood or if you're really in need of making some extra bucks or unpopular with your neighbors...have a Gator Tail Sale!!!

I don't think there was a need to kill the alligator...Yes, if it threatened you. I agree with the writer that mentioned about other animals in other parts of the country come into places that they don't want to be. Living in WI, it is not uncommon for dear to run through windows of homes and businesses....especially if frightened.

Thank you for shooting the thing. Who would they have called? Everyone else had their own families to tend to.

I've always loved animals as much as the next person including humane treatment of them, BUT if my family and I are trapped in a confined space not knowing when I'll be rescued and a dangerous carnivore comes between me and my children (and I'm lucky enough to have a gun within arms reach)...its going down. Period.

Obviously, none of you have ever been face to face with a gator - they eat people in Louisiana, doncha know?! I've been face to face with a gator in a small boat in the wild and a 12-15 foot reptile with teeth is a scarey heart beat skipping thing. Animal lovers never get out into the wild and therefore fail to appreciate the predicament a large hungry pissed off reptile can do to the mind and body of a merely mortal, wet and discouraged, human being....gun or no gun...in the back or face to face.

I really wish some people would put half as much compation towards people struggling in life as they do towards animals. We can have starving children on the street that no one wants to give a second look at, but kill an animal and it seems like the whole world is going to end. I hope they got a nice set of luggage out of that gator to pack up and move to a new home!

I dont think its necessary to kill all living animals
that happens to be on our domain(forgetting the Alligators lived there long before the humans decided to take away their land and make a living on killing them so they can make shoes,purses belts for stuck up men and woman that things its cool to kill so they can display the real thing... shame on them, when will the human race learn to save lifes of humans and animals may someday mean we are saving the human race. I doubt it the 7 deadly sins will win in the end. Too bad what a world this could be..

Come on - gator in the house, "probably" can't climb the stairs - I'm certainly not going to wait and see! What if the water continues to rise? The gator looses if I can get to my gun - or anything else I can use to dispatch it. Anyone who thinks differently must not be able to put themselves into the horrible situation these folks endured.

I can't belive you people. What did you expect them to do? I can only imagine the response of the 911 operator when called during one of the worst storms of all time to remove an alligator from a home. Not to mention to those of you not "lucky" enough to ride out this storm, no phones worked for days after the storm. I can't believe the nerve of some people. I hope you never have to endure what these people did.

Anyone out there willing to let the alligator climb the stairs and eat your family - move to LA. I have NO problem shooting an animal if there is any inclination of it hurting my family. This story was not a animal rights story or a gun rights story - it was a story of an alligator entring a family home in the heat of a storm. Something that had not been done before. We are Americans who have had no problem with doing what needed to be done. Now a little ol alligator enters someone's home and people are 'horrified' that the father killed it to protect his family. Grow up people.

lol You bleeding heart liberals kill me... It's a freakin animal!!! Plus, It's an animal that could have killed someone!!! Plus, it was a dangerous animal that could have killed someone, that was in their house!!!! My God, Ya'll are idiots

The post from people in the North East complainig about the shooting of the alligator is the exact reason why people hate the liberal left. If there was a six foot flesh eating reptile in your house you would want it to be disposed of as well. It is not as if these people went "gator hunt'n". I don't like to kill things either but if something was in my house that could kill me and eat me I would grab a gun.

You have to be out of your mind not to shoot the reptile. Let's keep it in prespective, water is rising and there is an aligator one floor below me, option (A) call PETA or option (B) shoot the creature.

Hope they made a purse or a suitcase out of it.

I totally agree with the shooting of this alligator. It's the old saying "Them or Me" and I'll take me any day! Ok, he was facing away from him, do you know how fast they can turn around??? Like lightning and then it's Bada Bing Bada Boom you're dead meat.
A scared alligator??? I don't think so.

I can't believe they shot the gator. The nerve! Obviously, the family should have waited until the gator was in the midst of attacking one of the humans before even considering killing it. Even then, they probably should have just let it kill the human. After all, doesn't the gator have a "right" to live its life? Let's be serious. If there was a gator in your house (from which you could not leave) and you had a gun, you would shoot it, too. Anyone who says otherwise is a liar or an idiot.

That is crazy! While many people don't believe in killing animals, let's get real folks. If you were faced with a deadly reptile like this, IN YOUR HOUSE, you'd be faced with the same decision. A human life is more valuable than a reptile's. Interesting story!

I would have shot it, too! Like many people have said before, who knows what it's going to do next. Better safe than sorry.

You people are so hilarious. Get riled up over the deaths of innocent people and do something about those cases. Instead you moan, whine and conplain beacause a man shot an alligator that was IN HIS HOUSE!!! Leave him alone, forget about the alligator, and go worry about something else. The tree you are hugging will be there when you get home, I promise.

Here's a solution. Feed the reptiles with the people who care more about alligators than fellow Americans who just went through the worst natural disaster in our recorded history. The activists can be happy for the reptile and the glories of the circle of life, and the rest of us can be happy that they're no longer here to judge us.

Wake up people. If you were in their shoes and you owned a gun you would have shot it too. Stop kidding yourselves.

Oh, PLEASE!!! Walk a mile in their shoes before you are so quick to judge. It's a shame the alligator got killed, but I'm sure there are 100s more in the southeastern United States - they are not an endangered species. These poor people had just survived the largest hurricane to hit a U.S. shoreline; they lost nearly all of their wordly possessions-and then to find an alligator 'LIVE' in their house floating around in the lower level - and yes, given the circumstances, I'm sure the alligator could have made it's way up the stairs if it had gotten hungry enough. And who knew when these people would be rescued? When you go through what these people had just gone through, then, and only then, can you have any idea of what you would have done in the same situation. An alligator is not a HOUSE PET! It's a wild, vicious, and carnivorous animal, I might add!! Thank you

I think he did a good job, if that was me I would save the bullets and bash him in the head with something. This is not an animal you can just go up to and pet it, its a killer. I would understand animal cruelty if that was the deer getting shot.

Diane, Dylan, Gary and the rest of the individuals who thought this animal should not have been killed,

Maybe we should have called you all and you would have been glad to remove it !!!!

I THINK NOT !!!!!!

please remember that the gator was in the house with humans. it was not a planned hunt. what would you do to
protect you and your family from a wild meat eating
reptile. it is a shame the storm makes us make a choice.

Good Grief...............KILL THE GATOR!!! Some of the bleeding hearts about the gator wouldn't think twice about aborting a baby. Get your priorities straight........DUH

Hey! Why aren't these same liberals advocating for the deer?
And they wonder why the republicans are in control of everything... because you're morons.

I agree with the individuals that are outraged at the killing of the alligator. There are alternatives they could have taken. Here are a few examples that they could have done instead.

1. Do what he Eskimos used to do. Throw the oldest out on the ice and feed the polar bear.

2. Do what the landed aristocracy used to do in Mexico, put the peones on flatcars ahead of the locomotive in case of mines or explosives.

3. Throw their children to the gator, they eat more and have to be educated.

4. Sacrifice one of the group to the alligator gods in hopes that "blood sacrifice" will apease it and it will leave.

Remember what P.E.T.A. actually stands for. People Eating Tasty Animals!

I agree with what has already been said about the justification of killing that large a gator. I wasn't there so I can't pass judgment on someone that was. It was their situation to assess, not mine. Knowing how fast they (gators) can move (and they can climb stairs), I know I wouldn't want one in my house, or to be there to greet anyone sent to rescue me. I sure as heck wouldn't want one coming upstairs to get in bed with me.

Ok, now explain something - the worst storm in history blows thorugh your house, you are stuck on the roof and the alligator is at the bottom of the stairs. Who were they supposed to call????? Police -like they weren't busy already, Animal Control - yeah right. A neighbor - doubt it. Did they have phone service? Did they have another way out that would have avoided the gator? Was the alligator already injured and therefore more dangerous?

Seems to be too many variables here for a arm chair call. Easy for us to sit in our warm dry homes and say you should or should not have done this or that. A totally different picture when are actually in the situation. I think there are more important issues to be dealt with than arguing over an alligator.

When are these people going to get housing. Food, clothes, the basics for life. When will they begin to see "normal" living again, if ever. Why are we not more angry over FEMA taking such a long time to come up with solutions for these people. Winter is coming and where will they be. Many are still living in tents.

Those who are animal lovers (and I count myself as one)what are you doing for those lost and scared pets still out there? Are you doing anything to assist the wildlife in that area? Do you even care?
Yes, I am doing my part to assist. I am fostering a dog from New Orleans and attempting to reconnect him with his owner. I am even working with a local humane society setting up rescue plans for our county in case of a diaster.

Hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving ----Oh---hope you didn't shoo that turkey on your table.

I probably won't kill the alligator, but I won't blame the homeowner for killing it either, just like I won't blame the alligator for killing the deer.

We all have different prespective for risk. It's perfectly right for me to think the alligator posses little threat, and it's also prefectly right for the homeowner to perceive differently. We can all be right. It doesn't have to be "you are either with us, or against us".

Good Grief.........Kill the Gator!! It ate the deer and who was to say what was next. Some people worry about an animal but not about a childs life with an abortion. Crazy values we have in this country.

It may be easy to shoo a bee out of your house but try that with a 20 foot long alligator that weighs more than you do. Even with the biggest broom stick you have you may find it to be a little more difficult.

I was in LA to do hurricane relief. I learned what most people in "alligator country" know-alligators are fast, eat children and pets, and, obviously, can eat a deer. With that info, I would have shot first and asked questions later. I agree w/ the guy who wrote about the grizzly-if a grizzly was in your living room, would you try to coax it out or shoot it? They are both very deadly creatures when confronted and/or scared.

I am an animal lover but I can understand the family was in a dire situation. What I don't understand is the need to take a picture with the alligator, that is disrespectful to the animal. The alligator was just as displaced as the family was by hurricane Katrina and it was trying to survive as well. As for those who slam the animal lovers of the world, please have a bit more compassion. I spent two weeks after the hurricane helping with the animal relief and I can tell you first hand the animlas are suffering a great deal. The animal victims need our help and compassion as much as the human victims of Katrina.

I noticed He doesn't mention harming the snakes , If I were trying to survive those circumstances ,I would absolutely shoot an alligator washed into my house .
For the sake of my family ,and for the sake of any one else caught in the wash.Boots,belts,wallets,and pocket books for all survivors.

This has to be on of the most interesting blogs I have read today. So people are really worried about the well being of an aligator adn yet I wonder how many of them have donated to the hurricane relief funds? food for thought... oh yea those people don't have any food! Maybe they could have eaten the alligator.

Just so you know, my family in Pass Christian had 6 foot of water in their house. These animal lovers managed to save 4 goats, 5 dogs, 5 horses, 6 cats, 1 parakeet and 1 gerbil. They would have shot the gator, eaten the meat, and would have been mad that they didn't get the deer meat as well...

Being from coastal MS, I think there is a procedure for this sort of thing. If an alligator shows up in your yard (or home for that matter), I believe you are supposed to call fish and wildlife so they can come out and take care of it. Not really sure but I think that's how it works. However, if a gator is threatening your life or the life of anyone else in the area, generally speaking, you shoot it. I don't know of anyone who has every faced legal action for shooting a gator that is a threat. Period.

Now folks, there were NO phones. There were no fish and wildlife people to respond. Forget 911 - that wasn't working either. Threatening gators are shot all the time (they are called a nusance where I come from). It's not barbaric. It's just a fact of life on the bayou.

These are not pets. Appearance has nothing to do with it - there are many people who raise gators, people who study them, who love and respect them. But they would not hesitate to shoot one that is a threat either because yes, gators do eat people.

As for the photo, there are lots of strange and humorous photos that we Katrina survivors use to inject some levity into an otherwise horrible situation. There are boats in trees; armchairs in telephone wires; large snakes in living rooms. Under the circumstances, this photo is perfectly appropriate. It will be something for this family to pass on to their great, great grandchildren as they tell the story of when Katrina came calling.

I would have shot it if it were leaving my house and i knew it was on its way back to the swamp. who cares?

Umm sure, pardon Mr Alligator do you plan on eating my family or causing me harm. No,you say ok carry on. You can have the downstairs and we'll take the upsatirs until we're rescued. What are you peole saying. You see a potential threat in times of deperation like this in the form of animals you don't take time to rationalize them away. You act swiftly and decisively not vacillitate and sit on your hands. His family made it through alright. He made the right choice.

Katrina was a nightmare, and the alligator showing up only adds to the stress of this family. If the gator would have eaten the family, I know all you people would have said they should have evacuated before the storm they had the time. Get a grip, this was survival time not a family shooting gators for giggles.

I have enjoyed reading the comments from our neighbors from up north. I think if they had seen a wild alligator in their house they would be wishing they had a gun and done the same thing as this home owner did. A wild alligator is nothing to fool with and if it was comfortable enough to come into a house flooded or not is not an alligator that is scard of man. I gaurantee that I would have shot it in a New York second if it had been my house

Thank you all so much! I laughed so hard it hurt! I had forgotten how much fun public commentary could be and how many fools are out there in the world! These folks were trapped on the upper floors of their home with wild animals on the lower floors and you feel sorry for the alligator? Are you serious? Can an alligator climb stairs? Yes. Can an alligator leap out of water to grab its prey? Yes; four or five feet. Are alligators aggressive meat eaters? Yes. Even IF you do not eat meat, the alligator sure as heck does! Those who posted here who do not eat meat or wear any animal products can take solace in the knowledge that the President will pardon the White House Turkey this afternoon and it will be flown to Disney World for a vacation! Doesn’t that even the scales? Hmm?

Simply the picture was distasteful, and not neccessary. While I think in a situation such as they were in, this reaction is not surprising... I do feel the picture accompanying the story as a bit over the top.

Apparently people up north have never seen an alligator in action. They are unbelievably swift, strong AND THEY CLIMB. They have been known to scale an 8 foot fence, much less be able to climb stairs or a ladder. Anyone who thinks they can "shoo" an alligator away is ignorant of these creatures temperaments. They have no fear of humans and he was probably very hungry. He was a predator in the house and would not have left any time soon. What was this traumatized family to do?

Grrrrrrr

I am a vegetarian and a animal right's activist, and yet I would see this situation as totally justified if it was REALLY a "him or us" scenario. (I'm not saying it wasn't, I'm saying I wasn't there) HOWEVER taking a picture next to a corpse, like he was Mickey Mouse, is.... ummm.... rather weird. I know there are many pics of cars in trees and other devastating things that happened during Katrina. I know that many people have had to find humor in things that usually aren't, well, humorous. Even still, this guy was a Katrina victim as sure as the deer and this teacher and her family were. Sure, having a gator in your house is exciting, worth talking about and telling the grandkids about. Maybe even newsworthy. But something's wrong when your smiling about a rotting corpse.

Not that I'm happy the gator was shot, but I would think at the time that the family had much larger and more important concerns than if the gator should live. And I'm sure there wasn't any pest control workers swimming around looking for work.

Common Sense has to come into play at some point.
A. No one informed the gator of is innocence.
B. The GATOR would have no problem killing the people.
C. It is just a freakin picture, proof of the event. It is not like she is wearing a the gator skin dancing nekkid around a camp fire... although that would also be an interesting picture.
D. Unless you have had to face an "innocent" alligator in a place other than a zoo, I am not sure your opinion is quantified. Let me know how hollering harsh words works out (or for the bleeding hearts, words of enthusiasm) if a bear if it were in your living room.
E. The only problem I see is that they missed an opportunity, gator tail is OUTSTANDING fried.
F. THIS IS AN ALIGATOR...it knows no ration, no pity, no reasoning.. it just wants to kill and eat, didn't ya'll ever watch the movie " waterboy?"
G. For all those opposed to the killing the gator I would love to see how you react if you had a gun in hand and your life was suddenly in danger from an INNOCENT animal. I would LOVE to see you lay down your arms and take your medicine....LOL
H. For all those opposed to the picture...it was not a slaughter, tragedy, massacre, or murder.....it was a dead alligator in the dudes house. Try to vector your energy in a more productive direction. How about instead... you get upset next time one of our soldiers gets torn apart and their body is paraded around some city. But then again, I am sure you will find a way to justify that.
I. Lastly Please people... get a clue before you comment. Go to work.. there are millions on welfare that depend on you.

I can't comprehend the stupidity of some of the people that are so quickly to make remarks. first of all, you're setting in a safe surroundings, children and family in a dry home and rattling off at your mouth, my family gave of their time, efforts, medical attention to some of these survivors, one that was crushed by a tree that came through his house, pinning his head to his feet for 4 hours before he was found, what do you suppose his family would have felt if this gator had come into his house during those 4 hours, better still, what would you have felt had it been your family? I think it would have been a little more real to you critical people. I bet the people that made most of these remarks have never faced a crisis. Get real folks.

Geez people. It's not like he went out hunting for the gator. It was inside the house!

Sorry, PETA, but the safety of human beings residing in their own homes comes first.

All you animal lovers need to get a grip on reality. Let me know how you feel the next time one of you finds a gator in your living room. It's real easy to second guess someone else when it's not your butt on the line or your home. Let's see if you kindly lead it away on a leash while it's calmly eating one of your kids or your ever precious poodles.

People come on! Were they going to call the police? Oh, that's right, they pretty much all left, or were looting the local Wal-Mart! So they shot an alligator. No different than people hitting a deer on the highwasy. Most of you don't even live where alligators are in large supply, so SHUT UP!

Killing the alligator was unnecessary and inhumane. Ms. Boelte and her father should be ashamed.

OK folks, let's keep the politics out of this. I am a "liberal," do not own a gun, and am pro-choice. And if I were sitting on the second floor of my house, staring down at a 12 foot alligator that has the capacity to seriously hurt of kill one of my children (or my dogs for that matter), how I vote will not have any impact on the fact that I would want that animal out of my house - dead or alive. Republican or democrat, I will do anything to protect my family from harm - I do believe that, for just about all of us, our desire to keep our families safe surpasses our voting records.

IT'S COMING RIGHT FOR US!! SHOOT IT! Good picture too.

I would like to see what some of you animal rights people would have done if this gator was in your living room.....you think we can eat some gator tail while we wait for F.E.M.A.

to all who did not want the animal killed....people are also "god's creatures" and the alligator would have happily eaten one of us if he was hungry.....

Hey, I agree with Jean from Birmingham, AL. But instead of new shoes, maybe new boots. All of you who said how sad or wrong it was to shoot this creature, get a life. You have no idea what these people have gone through. You have no idea what the gator would do. Stop harping on the idea of killing this beast and worry about something like how the Iraqis are killing our soldiers. Or how to help these people that have had their lives turned upside down. Get real people!

I suppose you would have kept the gator as a pet. Maybe allowed it to sleep with a child. Better yet, why not just let it stay in the house and you move your family. After all, finders keepers, losers weepers, right. Before you say they should have called animal control, how long do you think it would have taken to get that taken care of? This may come as a surprise to all of the non-shooters, but there were a lot of things going on down there following the hurricane. Given the human loss of life and the level of destruction, I don't see much harm in claiming control of what they still had left of their home - from an animal.

Besides, some of the looters can steal the gator and make some boots.

Let's see ........ one tree hugger, one gator and one gun in the same room. Who do you think is going to shoot first??

Until you are in the situation that residents of So. La and So. Miss were in, you have no idea what you would have done. Rescue workers were having a hard enough time saving the lives and removing people off of rooftops that were engulfed in more than 10 feet of water. This was an intruder. If it was a looter, there wouldn't even be a discussion as to whether is was right or wrong. GET A LIFE!!!

To the several do-gooders that have written in: think seriously about your response if that gator was visiting YOUR house. In the absence of your mother being there to take care of you.

I had no idea there are so many insensitive idiots in the world! I noticed where "location" was identified, people opposed to killing the alligator were cozy and dry in their undamaged homes. Something like a Monday "Quarterback." I live in Pascagoula, MS. Another "forgotten" area, except for Churches around this country and some even from foreign countries. We had 7' of salt water, sludge and raw sewage in our home. There was no phone service and emergency agencies were already over their heads with other storm related emergencies. You don't just put a leash over the head of an alligator and lead him out of the house like the idiots seem to be implying. You shoot that sucker if you're lucky enough to have a gun that will fire after the disaster we have all been through in this area. And as for the picture smiling with the dead alligator. One problem-she wasn't grinning wide enough.

For All You Alligator Lovers!! Send your name and address to the New Orleans Fish and Wildlife Department. Then the next alligator in a living room is yours. Come and get it for your own living room.It will love your other pets and children, and even you if you come close enough.And just get fatter and fatter.

Shame they didn't have the gator stuffed.

Get a Freaking grip Yankees!! The house was trashed! There was no way that they could have known that the upstairs would not collapse and then they would have wound up in the same place as the deer...in the gators belly....You Freaking Tree Huggers kill me...you put an animal over the life of a human. It never ceases to amaze me how people who live in the city or up North and are supposed to be intelligent, have such a problem with people doing what has been the norm for centuries. Hunting is not new and killling for protection is something you city dwellers should know well....after all you do have the highest crime rates and gang problems...so instead of worrying about this...you need to worry about your own problems!! Get a Life!

I think that the last comment just about summed it up. At that time there was no phone service and no police to call (silly me, who would've thought that rescue officials were actually working to try and help those in need).
Gators are aggressive and are very common on the river where I live. You have to realize that the gator was hungry also and was going to eat whatever was in his path, humans not excluded.
Thanks to those that actually thought about the entire situation before commenting.

Those who criticise the homeowner show an odd set of priorities. Many posters seemed to show far more sympathy for the alligator than for the family with the ruined home.

That alligator appears to be at least 10 feet, probaly closer to 12. (3-4 meters.) Being from deep in alligator country, I can tell you that that's maneater-sized. I have assisted in the capture and removal of many alligators, and we never try to catch one 10 feet or bigger. That's just more than we can handle. At twelve feet, we just wait for it to go away.

However, this was not a matter of an alligator in the yard, but one within the house and close to a family with nowhere to run. I have never seen a gator climb stairs, but I know of no reason why he could not. The family had retreated as far as it could without jumping into the flood. And you do NOT want to be in the water with an alligator.

As a side note, I am surprised that the homeowner was able to dispatch the alligator. Having been on liscensed alligator hunts, I have seen alligators susta