Man Fights Cougar To Save Mini Dachshund

A man punched a cougar to save his mini dachshund, Bailey. Shawn Hanson of Victoria, British Columbia, put himself in danger and went head to head with the big, wild cat to save his beloved dog’s life. The cougar jumped out of the woods about 10 to 15 feet away from the man and his best friend

“It put her paw down and her mouth around Bailey’s neck and started dragging her,” Shawn Hanson said about the cougar attack. “She was making really loud yelping noise like I’d never heard before.”

The cougar attack on the mini dachshund occurred when Hanson, 38, was camping with some friends at Salmon Beach in Ucluelet, British Columbia, last weekend. The group decided to go fishing, and when they returned to the campsite, the female cougar pounced from the woods. The big cat quickly grabbed the 1-year-old miniature dachshund and pulled her into the bushes.

“I just kept pushing the bushes so I could see and dropped down into a muddy, dry creek,” Hanson said. “I was able to spring out of the mud and was screaming at it the whole time. I was able to cock back and punch the cougar in the face and it kind of went cross-eyed and just dropped the dog. My initial thought was that it would start swiping at me, but it sat there sort of dazed. I was just relieved at that point.”

Hanson made his way back to the beach area with the injured Bailey as quickly as possible. Worried that the cougar would come back to the campsite once again, the Canadian man went back into the woods with his shotgun.

“It was still in the same location from when I punched it,” Hanson added. “It pounced forward to get a better look at me, so I shot a warning shot off to the side. I could’ve backed away, but it was ready to spring and was only 20 feet away.”

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Worried about the safety of himself and the other families camping in the area, Shawn Hanson decided to put the cougar down.

“I was thinking of the safety of myself, the other people, and the children that were around. It is an unfortunate turn of events. They’re beautiful animals, but it turned out to be a cat that was brazen. It had some pretty big claws and teeth and it could’ve done a lot of damage to me. I don’t have any kids and I think that’s how any parent would think. I did what I did to protect her [Bailey] and get her back.”

Hanson reported the cougar incident to police and wildlife conservation officers immediately after he punched and then shot the animal.

Ucelet Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sgt. Jeff Swann was placed in charge of the case.

“There are no issues about credibility with the story. It’s overall a scary interaction and we certainly wouldn’t recommend anyone used their hands to fight off an animal. In this case, the gentlemen was lucky,” Sgt. Swann said.

While there were no witnesses to the incident, the Canadian Ministry of Environment said it investigated the incident and believes Hanson’s account is “legitimate.” The ministry said the investigation is now closed.

“The cougar was extremely emaciated. Conservation officers were on scene over the earlier days responding to sightings and behavior. Conversation officers attended with hounds the day prior, but did not have success due to extreme heat and tide conditions,” a statement from local officials to ABC News, said.

The cougar the man punched to save his mini dachshund is believed to have been a 1-year-old female that weighed about 50-to-60 pounds.

Bailey is recovering well after receiving treatment at Manzini Animal Hospital in Port Alberni. Hanson said the mini dachshund is a “member of the family.”

What do you think about the man punching a cougar to save his mini dachshund?

[Image via Shutterstock]