A North African dinosaur, related to the crocodile, is found which could grow up to fifty feet long. Dr. Campbell (Bruce Weitz) uses its DNA to create two hybrids of it with a modern-day crocodile at Paula Kennedy's Genetic Research Co. (Gereco) lab. One creature kills Dr. Campbell's assistant and the other creature before escaping. This information is kept from Sheriff Harper (Napier) by Kennedy, stating the dead creature killed Campbell's assistant. His daughter, county dog catcher Diane Harper, helps her ex-welding artist, Tom Banning, and his 12-year-old brother Michael (Jake Thomas) find their three-legged dog, Lucky, who was lost a few days earlier.