A family from Lakeland is recovering from the shock of a close encounter with an otter that went on a rampage inside their home.The Ewert family describes it as a “crazy otter” that had to be. Casina Ewert, of Lakeland, had to fend off an aggressive otter that attacked her dog and 17-year-old daughter, WFLA-TV reported. Casina Ewert, of Lakeland, had to fend off an aggressive otter that attacked her dog and 17-year-old daughter, WFLA-TV reported. “I think life is full of surprises and you should just be ready for whatever,” Ewert told the television station. Gwyn Ewert, 17, got a rabies shot the day she was bitten in the leg by an otter at her family's Lakeland, Florida, home and a booster shot a few days later. (Source: Casina Ewert/WFLA/CNN) Casina Ewert tossed the otter back outside before discovering it had bitten her daughter in the leg.
© Provided by WESH Orlando Otter attackA family from Lakeland is recovering from the shock of a close encounter with an otter that went on a rampage inside their home.
The Ewert family describes it as a “crazy otter” that had to be wrestled and tossed from their home.
Sign up for our NewslettersOne recent morning, Casina Ewert heard her daughter Gwyneth screaming and ran to help her. She'd been bitten by an animal that attacked the family dog, Scooter.
'I was just screaming and hoping, 'mom and dad, please wake up please wake up, I don't know what I'm gonna do,'” Gwyneth Ewert said.
'I knew we had to immediately treat the rabies situation, I thought that might come up, so our first instinct was to go to the ER,” Casina Ewert said.
It took three days and nights of searching, but the otter was found in a joint effort by the Polk County Sheriff's Office and Florida Fish and Wildlife.
Now, the family is less anxious about going outside, and Gwenyth has recovered well from the bite.
'It's healing nicely. Hopefully, not a terrible scar,' Gwyneth said.
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But the story behind the scar is still a shock. Just as it was the moment they realized the animal hissing in their living room was likely the same one they and others in the neighborhood saw swimming in nearby lakes several times over the past six months.
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Wildlife officers said the otter killed a second dog in the neighborhood. They also said otters can be vicious and people should not approach them.
READ THE FULL STORY:Family says otter attacked teen, dog inside Central Florida home
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