Cody, the dachshund who was killed in less than five seconds by an 8-foot alligator at the boat ramp in the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge in Florida was unleashed – just for a few seconds – while the dachshund’s owners prepared their boat to leave the park.

As reported by WMAZ on July 2, the owners of dachshund Cody, Mike Karris, and his fiancée, were aware that the park had a leash law. However, while preparing their boat to leave the park on Saturday around 3 p.m., they sat down Cody without his leash just for a moment.

"The whole thing, start to finish, didn't last five seconds and the dog wasn't on the ground for more than a minute," said Mike Karris after the horrific incident.

As soon as the alligator had grabbed dachshund Cody, the predator swiftly retreated into a pond near the boat ramp. Even though Karris and his fiancée immediately jumped into the water – disregarding their own safety – it was too late for Cody.

The alligator and dachshund Cody had already vanished, leaving behind nothing but shock and disbelief. "I couldn't catch up to the gator. It was so fast," Karris stated and emphasized that he does not blame the alligator for following its instinct to hunt for food. The alligator is reportedly well known at the park and has never caused any problems among the many visitors before. As for the dachshund's owners, Karris is taking full responsibility for his dog’s horrific fate and for leaving Cody unleashed – even if just for a few seconds -- at a park that is known for alligators. “He just hopes his experience serves as a warning to others.”