Alberta Man Challenged Cougar To Save Schnauzer

Alberta, Canada – Crediting instinct and adrenaline, a dog owner managed to rescue his schnauzer from the clutches of a cougar.

Dean Hordal and his wife, Lori, were walking their dog, Mikah, along a trail in Hinton, a township of Alberta, when they witnessed a flash of a cougar effortlessly nab their 30-pound pet several meters ahead.

The wild animal carried the domestic pooch over a nearby embankment. Hordal pursued, hoping the cat would drop Mikah. Whether it was to get a better grip on the dog or sensing the owner, the cougar stopped and suddenly shot up a nearby tree.

In a heroic, perhaps dangerously foolish effort to rescue the schnauzer, Hordal climbed up after them and managed to grab the cougar’s tail. Reacting, the cat released Mikah from its jaw and continued up the tree. Hordal admitted later, after reconsidering the 30-second event, “It’s not something I would probably do again.”

The couple collected their injured pet and took her a local veterinarian. Thankfully, Mikah was not significantly harmed in the attack and has since had her stitches removed.

Alberta Fish and Wildlife did find the perpetrating animal, but the cougar managed to escape. Residents have been warned since to keep a watchful eye on their children and pets as either can be enticing prey.

Similar cougar attacks have been on the rise in Canada. Earlier in May, 16-year-old Levi Sadler, spooked a mountain lion as it attacked his black Labrador, Daisy, outside the family’s home in Belcarra, British Columbia. The teen responded to disturbing screams coming from Daisy.

Upon investigating, Levi saw a cougar with the dog’s neck in its mouth and Daisy kicking her legs wildly and yelled. Startled, the cougar ran off, leaving the dog behind, but returned shortly after and charged after Levi. Ultimately, the boy managed to evade the wild animal and his father chased the cat off for a second time. Daisy required 100 stitches for the various lacerations she acquired in the assault.

A separate cougar encounter occurred in Parks Canada. According to an unnamed victim’s account, he was wearing ear buds, which allowed the predator to sneak up and attack him from behind. Fortunately, the victim was able to stun the big cat with a skateboard and made his escape.

[Image via Shutterstock]