A Colorado man came into action to save his dog’s life and fought with a mountain lion that attacked his pet.
Gene Whannel of Estes Park told FOX31 in Denver that he had become accustomed to wildlife in his backyard, which borders public land. But when he took out his 9-year-old boxer Sadie early one day, they encountered a mountain lion that nearly killed the dog.
Whannel searched the hill with a flashlight next to his property, looking for the reflection of any predators’ eyes before letting Sadie go from her leash. But he knew something was wrong when he heard his dog howl.
A Colorado man came into action to save his dog’s life and fought with a mountain lion that attacked his pet. (iStock)
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“I got the light on her, saw that she was in a struggle with something,” he told FOX31. “From a distance I could not know what it was, but my suspicion was a mountain lion.”
He was right and was looking for a rock or a stick that he could use to ward off the animal. All he found, according to the report, was a small wood marker.
“I picked it up, hit the mountain lion once and it made eye contact,” Whannel told the TV station. ‘I slapped another slap afterwards and slapped it in the face. Then the mountain lion released Sadie and ran the other way. ‘
Colorado Parks and Wildlife advises residents of the mountain lion country to avoid pets between dusk and dawn, to keep pets lean and not to leave them unattended.
(iStock)
Sadie lost an eye during the attack and reportedly sustained more than 70 stitches during a three-hour operation.
“When she considers what she’s been through, she’s doing fantastic,” Whannel told FOX31.
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Not every pet that encounters a mountain lion is so happy. Just a few days later, a mountain lion killed another dog in the same town, according to another FOX31 report.
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“Although mountain lion attacks on dogs in Estes Park are not frequent, Estes Park is a mountain lion country and these incidents can happen,” Jason Clay, spokesman for Colorado Parks and Wildlife, told the TV station.
In order to protect pets, Colorado Parks and Wildlife advises residents to avoid pets between dusk and dawn, to keep pets lean, to accompany them while outside in the yard, and not to leave them unattended.
Whannel told FOX31 he wants other pet owners in the area to be aware of the danger.
“I would never leave Sadie in the garden without a leash,” he said.