Small dog put down after Port Moody cougar attack
Posted March 10, 2021 3:48 pm.
Last Updated March 10, 2021 6:25 pm.
PORT MOODY (NEWS 1130) – A cougar attack in Port Moody Tuesday night left a small dog so severely hurt, it had to be put down.
Acting Sgt. Alicia Stark with the B.C. Conservation Service says the attack happened shortly before 11 p.m. when a man was walking his dog on a leash in his townhouse complex near Foxwood Drive. She says he didn’t hear the cougar come out from the bushes from behind.
“Cougars can be very silent and that appears to be what happened here because before he knew it, the cougar was on top of his dog,” she says.
The man was able to push the cougar away with his leg, giving him a chance to scoop up his 14-pound dog while the cougar retreated about two metres into the bush.
The dog was rushed to the emergency vet clinic, but couldn’t be saved.
The owner was not harmed.
Stark notes the owner was knowledgeable about wildlife and “had done everything right” but it seemed to be a predatory attack on the dog.
“We believe the man and the dog caught the cougar off-guard and that the cougar was not expecting to see anybody, and that’s what triggered that attack,” she adds.
The search continues for the cougar.
A small dog has died after a cougar attack in Port Moody. It happened at a townhouse complex in the Foxwood Drive neighbourbood @NEWS1130 @CityNewsVAN pic.twitter.com/ShkSdzrtvJ
— Miranda Fatur (@MirandaFatur) March 10, 2021
Other people walking their dogs in the same neighbourhood admit the attack makes them nervous.
“I’ve heard other reports of cougars in the area. It’s scary that it’s this close and it’s scary that it’s within a townhouse complex,” one person told CityNews. “Luckily, I don’t think they would go after my guy because he’s a bit bigger, but it’s so tragic.”
Stark urges everyone to call in any sightings of cougars, walk dogs on a leash and during the daytime if possible, but bring a flashlight if you are going out at night. She recommends carrying bear spray whether it’s day or night, since it works on cougars as well.
“We’ve definitely seen a lot of activity this year – more than other years, but we don’t have a reason as to why,” she says. “It’s definitely been a higher than average year.”
-with files from Martin MacMahon and Miranda Fatur
