LAKE CUSHMAN, Wash. — A cougar attacked a dog near Lake Cushman on Wednesday morning, according to the Mason County Sheriff's Office.
The dog is expected to be OK, the sheriff's office said.
A man was walking with what was described as a small dog on a leash when Terry Hutchinson, a neighbor, stopped to talk to him.
"This cougar just shot out of the woods," said Hutchinson. "It just grabbed his dog and pulled him to the ground."
Hutchinson, who has lived at Lake Cushman since 1987, said she has seen bears before, but never cougars. She always tries to have an air horn in case she sees a bear. In this case, she said it came in helpful when the cougar arrived.
"I took out my air horn and ran it out of air," said Hutchinson. "The cougar let go of the dog and took off."
At the time Hutchinson said all she was worried about was the dog, but later realized both she and the dog's owner could have been attacked.
"It was pretty scary, actually," said Hutchinson.
The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife attempted to locate the cougar Wednesday. Officials said the cougar would likely be killed if it was found due to the attack.
After searching the area around where the attack happened for several hours, officers and search dogs found cougar tracks heading into the forest and away from homes. They do not have further plans to attempt to track, capture or kill the cougar.
Cougar/human interactions are rare in the northwest. But if you encounter one, officials say to do the following:
- Do not run
- Make noise and appear large
- If attacked, fight back
- Carry bear spray
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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