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Posted on 04/19/2017 3:01:26 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Vickie Fought says she saw "wet, very clear, large paw prints" after her dog was taken from her bedroom
The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office is reminding residents on the Peninsula to lock and secure their homes after a women reported that a mountain lion attacked her dog in Pescadero, California.
Deputies responded early Monday morning to a report of a mountain lion entering a home and snatching a small dog. Vickie Fought told deputies she and her 12-year-old daughter were sleeping in a bedroom with their small dog at the foot of their bed and the back door open a crack.
Fought said they woke up in the middle of the night when their dog, Lenore, started barking. "That's when I saw what I thought was our bigger dog walking in," Fought said.
Seconds later, Fought said Lenore, a 15-pound Portuguese Podengo, went silent.
Fought said she thought Lenore finally recognized the bigger dog. That was until, Fought added, "I saw the lion walk back out the door."
Fought's bed is about a foot away from the back door. Fought said she did not see the lion's head. However, by the animal's size and walk, she knew exactly why Lenore went silent.
"As it walked down our path, I thought, 'That looks a lot like a lion,'" she said.
Then she saw evidence that confirmed her fears. "Wet, very clear, large paw prints walking in," Fought said, adding that she also saw drops of blood.
The Foughts live in the hills of Pescadero, an area where it is not uncommon to see a mountain lion in the fields near their house. But Fought never expected a mountain lion to walk into their house.
"It's hard to fathom," she said. "It's beyond what we thought."
The Department of Fish and Wildlife were notified of the incident, the sheriff's office said.
On Monday, a state wildlife warden looked for paw prints or any sign of the mountain lion near the property but did not appear to find any evidence other than the blood on the bedroom door.
For mountain lion safety tips, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/Keep-Me-Wild/Lion.
NBC Bay Area's Cheryl Hurd contributed to this report.
Adds a whole new meaning to Dog Chow.
How horrifying! I’m one of those who considers pets family, so I would be destroyed with grief.
so the Sheriff is mad cause the mountain lion got to the dog first ?
What person living in an area with lots of wildlife leaves any unscreened door or window open? Even out here where I live people have screens on windows and doors-the mountain lions never come right up to a house-they prefer to grab outdoor dogs and cats from yards-but caution is best...
Nom, nom...
and cat burglars.
Mountain lions chowing down on pets happens frequently, but it is not common for them to come into a house to do so.
This is the second case that I have heard of.
Coyotes chowing down on pets is very common. I have heard of several cases second hand in Yuma. But I have not heard of them entering homes. Yards, yes. Homes, no.
I wish I could remember which FReeper but one has a picture of a Mountain Lion looking in his room via a sliding door. I’ve seen the picture a few times and for the life of me... my blood runs cold. That being said.. why in the world would someone leave a door CRACKED open if they knew these beasts were wandering around?
No doggie bag needed.
Hmmm....I am wondering if the woman’s “bigger dog” was in on the heist. Why no barking from him?
My guess is the dog went out and came back into the house, the lion saw it and followed back in.
Rotfl. You win the FR today.
What did they think? Sometimes it's hard to feel sorry for someone this naive. People want to believe that if you leave predators alone they aren't dangerous.
Of course suburbs are full of morons who feed wildlife. They learn not to be afraid.
I would also keep the door shut and locked due to A) rattlesnakes! and B) criminals
Raccoons too. Here in PA we have the rabid variety.
I'm hoping he just found another home, but can't think too much on it. Great cat.
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