Cougar destroyed after it dragged dog away from home near Sundre

Alberta Fish and Wildlife Officers have destroyed a cougar after the animal attacked a dog and dragged it away from a home near Sundre.

At 11:30 a.m. Thursday, officers got a call that a dog had been attacked by a cougar at a home just southeast of Sundre, near the East Ridge Estates neighbourhood.

"The people who lived there let their dog out and the cougar came by and picked the dog up and ran with the dog into some nearby trees," said Fish and Wildlife spokesperson Brendan Cox.

Cox said officers were able to locate the cougar within a few hundred metres of the home. He said although officers weren't able to find the dog's body, they're confident it didn't survive the attack.

'Officers had little choice'

"At this point, officers knew the cougar had begun to prey on pets and with the cougar seeking prey in a populated area where humans live, it was a very clear and demonstrated risk to public safety and property in the area, and it's very difficult for an animal to unlearn that sort of behaviour," Cox said.

"So, unfortunately officers had little choice but to put this cougar down to ensure there weren't future incidents where the public or property were endangered."

Cox said some people may not realize that cougar habitats spread across most of the province and aren't just located in mountainous areas.

He said it's still rare to see cougars, but as urban development increases, so do encounters with wildlife.

"Cougars do sometimes see domestic cats and dogs as easy prey," he said.

Cox shared some precautionary tips to keep the felines at bay:

• Keep cats indoors.
• Bring dogs inside at night.
• Don't feed wildlife near your home with bird seed or salt licks.
• Keep garbage in sealed containers.
• Install motion-activated security lights.
• Clear up underbrush and make sure that animals can't climb underneath your deck.

On Aug. 22, a cougar sighting prompted awarning in Cochraneafter one of the big cats was spotted in town.

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With files from Diane Yanko