Tag: mountain lion

Hero Pit Bull/Chihuahua Mix Loses Life Protecting Kids from Mountain Lion

Lady, a small Pit Bull/Chihuahua (wow!) mix, liked to keep a protective eye on the kids in the Havens family of Idaho Springs, Colo. 

When the Havens family adopted Lady three years ago, they knew right away she was something special, Virginia Havens, Lady’s owner, told CBS4.

“Any time the kids were outside, she was five steps behind them,” Havens told CBS4. “They would play in the sandbox, she was keeping watch everywhere, all the time.”

Lady was doing what she always does on June 14 when a 6-foot mountain lion began stalking the children as they played in their front yard. When Lady saw the big cat, Havens said the hero dog first took off in the other direction to gain momentum before springing on it.

As Havens’ husband grabbed the kids and brought them inside the house, the mountain lion clamped its jaws around Lady’s head. Lady “was doing her best to get out of the hold,” Havens told CBS4. “I heard her crying out, which made me more frantic because she was my fur baby,”

Havens called the police. When they arrived, they shot the mountain lion with non-lethal rounds, The mountain lion dropped Lady and took off.

Havens said she screamed when she saw Lady’s injuries. “She was just a bloody mess,” Havens told CBS4. “Her eye was bulging, she had labored breathing and a hole in her skull.”

Although Lady was rushed to an animal hospital, she sadly had to be euthanized due to her severe injuries. But thanks to Lady’s bravery, the Havens children were unharmed.

“If she had not been there, we would have had a completely different type of tragedy,” Havens told CBS4. “She was absolutely our hero.”

Photo: Olivia Danielle Ruiz, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Dog Dad Rescues Shepherd Mix from Mountain Lion’s Mouth

When Chanida Fetter heard a growl on the deck of her Placerville, Calif., home late Wednesday evening, she didn’t think much about it — until she heard Tiki, her 7-year-old Shepherd-Terrier mix, let out a cry.

Chanida looked outside and, to her horror, saw a mountain lion snatch Tiki and carry her toward the woods. Screaming, Chanida woke up her husband, Kirk.

Wearing only his underwear, Kirk bolted outside, sprinting toward the mountain lion.

“All I saw was a big old long tail. First instinct was to save my dog,” he told FOX40.

Chanida threw some buckets and other objects at the mountain lion as Kirk chased it. “She completely freaked out when I was down here because the mountain lion didn’t let go until I was right on top of it,” Kirk told KCRA.

Kirk was able to pry Tiki from the mountain lion’s mouth.

The incident took less than 40 seconds, Kirk told FOX40. Because of the adrenaline pumping through his veins, he said he felt no fear.

Chanida told FOX40 she saw the mountain lion stare at her husband for a second or two before it retreated into the woods.

Since there is no emergency animal hospital near their home, the Fetters’ neighbor hand-stapled the six puncture wounds on Tiki’s neck, ear and stomach.

The Fetters took her to the vet the next morning. The lucky dog going to be okay.

Tiki has been part of the Fetter family ever since she was a puppy. “It’s a family member. You got to save your family,” Kirk told FOX40.

It’s very unlikely that Tiki will ever be left alone again on the deck at night.

“It’s that time of year that deer are coming down off the mountains and mountain lions are following them,” Kirk told KCRA.

“Keep your pets in at night and watch your children at dusk.”

Photo via Twitter

Milwaukee Man Shoots ‘Mountain Lion’ That’s Really a Dog (He’s OK)

JULY 24, 2015 UPDATE: The owner of Simba — whose real name is Homie — has been found after he saw his dog on TV, Fox6 News reports. Homie had escaped from his leash during a walk Tuesday. He is still being treated by the Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission (MADACC).

The bad news: Homie’s leg is not healing properly and he will need more surgery that his owner cannot afford. The good news: Donations are pouring in, and an animal clinic has offered to perform the surgery at a reduced rate. (It seems to me that the man who shot Homie should pay for the surgery.)

To make a donation to help MADACC help Homie, click here.

Since Monday, the Milwaukee Police Department has received dozens of calls from residents saying they’ve seen what looks like a mountain lion roaming a neighborhood on the north side of the city.

After a cell phone video of the alleged lion was posted on social media, the hashtags #LIONWATCH and #MKELion began trending in Milwaukee, according to WDJT.

“Do not approach it, do not panic,” Scott Diehl, with the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, told WDJT yesterday. “If the animal is close to you, maybe 50 yards or so, don’t take your eyes off it. Don’t turn your back on it. Remain facing it at all times. Make yourself look big.”

An unidentified man apparently thought he saw the mountain lion last night. Instead of doing what Diehl recommended, he shot it.

But the victim wasn’t a mountain lion. It was a stray, white Pit Bull who bears little resemblance to a mountain lion.

“The bullet went through his leg, fractured his bone,” Karen Sparapani, executive director of the Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission (MADACC), told WDJT.

The dog, who’s been named Simba (ha!), must wear a cast for six weeks. Hopefully his owner will claim him, or he’ll find a new forever home with a secure yard.

And hopefully the man who shot him will get his vision checked pronto.

“Please do not discharge a firearm because often, besides from maybe not shooting the right animal, a human can be injured,” Sparapani told WDJT.

Another Pit Bull Mistaken for a Mountain Lion

In July 2014, residents became worried after a security camera captured what they believed to be a mountain lion roaming a Norwalk, Calif., street late one night.

After watching the video, even some animal experts were convinced the prowling animal was perhaps a jaguar or African lioness.

Nope. Just like Simba in Milwaukee, this creature was actually a Pit Bull named Buddy.

Buddy had escaped from his yard that night, and his dog dad recognized him in the video.

Unlike poor Simba, Buddy the non-lion was unharmed.

Man Thought Bears Were Dogs

Speaking of people with vision issues, it took two years for a man in China to figure out his two dogs were actually endangered Asian black bears.

Wang Kaiyu bought what he thought were two black puppies, but was surprised by how big they grew and by how much they ate.

When he saw a wildlife protection promotion about Asian black bears, Wang had what Oprah would call an “Ah-HA!” moment. He notified authorities, and his pets were taken to a wildlife rescue center.

Photos via Twitter; Facebook; Facebook

‘Mountain Lion’ Roaming City Street Was Really Just a Pit Bull Mix

Residents of Norwalk, Calif., were concerned when a homeowner’s security video camera captured what appeared to be a mountain lion roaming the street late at night.

The homeowner sent the video to the California Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, which confirmed the animal wasn’t a mountain lion. But officials couldn’t determine exactly what it was.

Norwalk city spokesman Jeff Hobbs told City News Service Aug. 1 that the animal appeared to have a mane, and looked more like a lion.

“Yes, it certainly does look like an African lion. It’s not a cougar,” Craig Packer, a professor at the University of Minnesota Lion Research Center, told the Los Angeles Times.

Joel Almquist, executive director and founder of the Forever Wild Exotic Animal Sanctuary, told the Times that at first he thought the animal in the video was a dog. “But upon closer inspection, said he thought it was a leopard, noting its movement and height,” the Times reported.

The Dept. of Fish and Wildlife told Norwalk residents to use caution, stay indoors and notify authorities if they saw the mystery beast.

Many Norwalk residents wondered how the heck a lion ended up in their Southern California city, which is miles away from any wilderness areas.

The story got international news coverage earlier this month. “At first glance the creature, which ambles slowly and calmly past the security camera, appears to be an African lioness or mountain lion,” wrote the Daily Mail Aug. 4. The article went on to say that officials and experts “have suggested it is — among other things — a mountain lion, an African lion, some type of hybrid dog, a leopard or a large domestic cat. Some have even speculated it could be the mythical Chupacabra.”

But when Brendan Mriz, dog dad of a 4-year-old Pit Bull mix named Buddy, saw the video, he thought he recognized the mystery animal. Could it be his Buddy, who had escaped from the yard that very same night?

Two local security surveillance companies recreated the video using Buddy, and then compared it with the video of the “lion.” Buddy’s gait and physical appearance were a perfect match.

Hopefully Mriz will keep his yard better secured — not only for Buddy’s safety, but to prevent Norwalk residents from having to deal with any future “Chupacabra” sightings.

Photo via Facebook

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