A Colorado man took action to save his dog’s life by fighting a mountain lion who had attacked his pet.
Gene Whannel of Estes Park told FOX31 in Denver that he is used to finding wild animals in his backyard, which borders public land. But when he took Sadie, his 9-year-old boxer, earlier last week, they found a mountain lion that almost killed the dog.
Whannel scanned the hill near his property with a flashlight, looking for any predator’s eye reflection, before releasing Sadie from his collar. But he knew something was wrong when he heard his dog whimper.
A Colorado man took action to save his dog’s life by fighting a mountain lion who had attacked his pet. (iStock)
ALASKA WOMAN VISITS EARTH, BEAR TAKES A BITE FROM HIS SIDE: REPORT
“I took her light, saw that she was in a hand-to-hand fight with something,” he told FOX31. “At a distance I didn’t know what it was, but my suspicion was a mountain lion.”
He was right and looked for a stone or stick that he could use to fight the animal. All he found was a small wooden property marker, according to the report.
“I took this, hit the mountain lion once and he made eye contact with me,” Whannel told the TV station. “I hit him again and hit him in the face. Then the mountain lion released Sadie and ran the other way.”
Colorado Parks and Wildlife advises residents of the mountain lion region to avoid walking pets between dusk and dawn, keeping them on a leash and not leaving them unattended.
(iStock)
Sadie lost an eye in the attack and received more than 70 points during a three-hour surgery, according to the report.
“Considering what she went through, she is doing fantastic,” Whannel told FOX31.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPLICATION
Not every pet that meets a mountain lion is so lucky. A few days later, a mountain lion killed another dog in the same city, according to another FOX31 report.
CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER
“Although mountain lion attacks on dogs in Estes Park do not occur frequently, Estes Park is a country of mountain lions and these incidents can happen,” Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesman Jason Clay told the station. TV.
In order to protect pets, Colorado Parks and Wildlife advises residents to avoid walking the animals between dusk and dawn, keeping them on a leash, accompanying them in the yard and not leaving them unattended.
Whannel told FOX31 that he wants other pet owners in the area to be aware of the danger.
“I will never let Sadie out in the yard without a collar,” he said.