Sweet Home police warned residents to be aware after a dog was attacked by a cougar just after noon Monday, Jan. 10.
The dog belonged to a resident in the 1000 block of 43rd Avenue.
Kathi Melson, 62, and her boxer-shepherd mix exited the back of Melson’s residence at approximately 12:30 p.m. Monday when the dog was attacked by a cougar, said Police Chief Jeff Lynn. The cougar then took off and moved westbound toward 42nd Avenue. The canine suffered a severe laceration on its side from the attack and was transported to the Sweet Home Veterinary Clinic.
“We have been in contact with the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife and are working on a type of response that would get the Linn County trapper involved to assess the situation and try to mitigate it,” the chief said, while noting that officers have posted warning signs in the neighborhood.
“The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, they will make contact with the property owner, talk to them, and further access this situation,” Lynn added.
Lynn stated that a “large percentage” of cougar sightings reported to his department are from the general area of Monday’s attack, noting that the residents there border the Sweet Home Event Center and the Hobart Nature Reserve.
In September of 2019 a 43rd Avenue resident shot a cougar that had killed one of his family’s goats.
To report a cougar sighting, call the police non-emergency line at (541) 367-5181.
For tips from ODFW on how to respond if you encounter a cougar, visit http://www.dfw.state.or.us/wildlife/living_with/cougars.asp.