Mountain lion attacks dog in Glendale while on walk with owner
A mountain lion viciously attacked a dog in Glendale on Monday night while on a walk with its owner.
Laura McVay said she had taken her dog, Declan, out for a walk in their neighborhood near Matilija and Cleveland roads at around 11:30 p.m. when the attack took place.
"I took my little dog to the street to go to the bathroom," she said. "On our way back, all of a sudden I felt this swoosh behind me."
She said she was feet away from her front door when she felt a tug behind her and saw a mountain lion attacking Declan.
"I pulled his leash and started screaming," McVay said. "At that time I realized it was a mountain lion."
McVay said she tried to make noise and scare the big cat away, but was unsuccessful. A few moments later, the mountain lion ran off with her dog and she hasn't seen them since.
"And then he went straight up the street to the hillside," she said. "I just saw the back of him, with his leash trailing behind him, and that was the last time I saw him."
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife said it received a report of the attack on Tuesday and assigned a biologist to further investigate the incident.
"The biologist stated that we do see elevated mountain lion activity this time of year but incidents like this are rare," A CDFW spokesperson told CBS LA. "It was also noted that this occurred close to the Verdugo Mountain, which is a densely populated wildlife habitat. CDFW is advising the public to avoid taking their dogs out for walks between dawn and dusk, should not walk alone during dawn or dusk, and remain vigilant if they must be out with their pets during this time given the elevated activity noted during this time of year."
McVay described Declan as a fun-loving dog. She said that although she has never had an encounter with a mountain lion in her neighborhood before, she hopes it serves as a warning to other residents to stay vigilant with their animals.
"He was love and joy," McVay said. "It was so traumatic and so unexpected, and so scary."
