STEVENS COUNTY, Wash. – A dog was attacked by a wild animal believed to be a cougar in Stevens County Saturday.
Farm owner Velda Wilson says she was taking her dogs Pete and Buddy to use the bathroom early in the morning when one of them didn’t come back when called.
“Me and both the pups went outside and they immediately took a run back to the pasture. I thought they were chasing deer, so I did their return whistle. Only one came back, and then as Pete came back, we heard a yelp, and so we both kind of turned around and he was barking,” Wilson said.
After Pete barked at the commotion, Buddy came running back to Wilson covered in bite marks and dirt.
“I checked him out and found the puncture wounds, and given the width of the bite, it looks to be something along the lines of a cougar,” Wilson said.
Wilson attributed the attack to wildfires and increased development in Stevens County, both of which
Staci Lehman with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife encouraged farmers and dog owners around the county to keep their dogs leashed on walks to prevent run-ins with cougars or coyotes.
“Without investigating…it’s hard to say what attacked or hurt it, that is one of the reasons why we tell people to walk their dogs on leashes. It’s not uncommon for a dog to run ahead of a person when it’s not on a leash and encounter an animal like a cougar or a bear,” Lehman said.
Wilson echoed Lehman, saying that vigilance is particularly important for agricultural workers and people who own animals.
“Be aware, be vigilant, if you’ve got small pets and you’ve got livestock, be a responsible animal owner,” Wilson said.
Wild animal attacks can be reported to the Department of Fish and Wildlife online.
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