Mountain Lion Nearly Kills Dog

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This is one lucky dog to have survived. 100 stitches. But then again, I guess you could say it’s an unlucky dog to get attacked in the first place.

Dog Survives Vicious Mountain Lion Attack

SUTTER CREEK, Calif. (CBS13) ―

A family dog was savaged in an encounter with a mountain lion in Amador County, but the beloved pet survived.

Sutter Creek resident Gary Mann and his girlfriend were in their backyard with their three dogs when Tigger, a 50-pound mixed breed, investigated a noise on the edge of the forest and was suddenly attacked.

“She was just kind of screaming for her life, and the other Rottweiler, my girlfriend’s dog, ran up,” Gary said. 

The mountain lion ran off, but Tigger was severely injured. “Her skull was kind of gaping right open, and you know, we were holding it shut,” Gary said.

Judging by the wounds on the dog’s body, the wild predator attacked Tigger’s back first, slashing open her back and taking chunks out of her side. “It’s probably about 100 stitches,” Gary said.

The most serious wounds were inflicted on Tigger’s head, when she was “ripped open” around the top of her head, between her ears. Despite the grievous injuries, Tigger is active and walking around ten days after the attack.

Gary knows that mountain lions are a part of life in Amador County, but he said he never expected to be the victim of an attack.

“They’re lions, and they’re in your yard,” he said. “What’s important is that kids are around here.”

There are an estimated 6,000 mountain lions roaming California. The last attack on a human was in Humboldt Count, two years ago.