The otter swam over to Mike, grabbed the dog and glided off. The body of the dog, an American Eskimo, was found on the shore of the lake on Wednesday, a day after the attack. Pasco Animal Control has placed a trap in the Davis' back yard on Vienna Lane, which borders a small lake in the Regency Park subdivision. The otter could be a mother trying to protect her litter, or it could be rabid, she said. Otters are protected animals in Florida, but they can be killed if they destroy property, authorities said.
Attacks are highly unusual.
However, there have been a few incidents involving river otters, which are aquatic members of the weasel family. In 1999 in Melbourne, an otter bit a man on his shin. Earlier this year in New Bedford, Mass., a police officer was bitten by a rabid otter. In Florida, otters are usually found near fresh water. They eat mostly fish, but have been known to eat birds, snakes and insects.