Watch VideoDog survives Colorado mountain lion attack
Story By: Bea Karnes
Source: NBC
Laura Jirsa of Evergreen watched the mountain lion pounce on her dog, Lady, and drag her into the woods. Jirsa was certain her dog was dead. Later that night, Lady limped home. The 1-year-old Blue Heeler was bloody and barely able to stand.
Monday morning, Jirsa was walking with Lady along a trail near her home in a remote area on Stanley Mountain. Lady was 150 feet down an embankment from the trail when the mountain lion attacked. "When I realized it was a mountain lion, I really started hollering," Jirsa said. "I was pretty much at its mercy if I did decide to go down there."
The large cat picked up the 40-pound dog and carried it out of sight. Jirsa ran for help and when she returned, there was no sign of the mountain lion or her dog. "Over and over and over I saw that scene in my head and felt the helplessness of that," Jirsa said.
She spent the day in her house, wracked with grief. Until the moment, part way through the afternoon, when Lady staggered into the house. The dog was bleeding and covered with dirt.
Dr. Jody Engel of Mountain Park Veterinary Hospital says Lady was nearly comatose when Jirsa carried the dog into the clinic. Engel says it's rare for a dog as small as Lady to survive such a severe attack. "She's very lucky to be alive," Engel said. "She actually has a fractured skull. It was amazing because you could see her breathing through her forehead."
Engel says she has seen a recent rash of brazen mountain lion attacks on pets. In one case, she said, a cat forced its way into a garage to kill a dog.
Tuesday evening, Lady emerged from a three-hour surgery and is expected to go home within a day or two. "She is tough as nails," said Jirsa.
