An encounter between a dog and a cougar almost ended in disaster in a rural area of Saanich, B.C., this week.
Video shared from Saanich police shows a Husky running out of its house, charging at a cougar sitting in the driveway.
Miika’s owner, Jaarod Lucoe, yells for her to come back and the dog skids to a halt and comes running back.
“This Husky has excellent recall,” Saanich police said in a tweet.
Lucoe said he had come home for lunch and Miika was outside lounging about.
“At this time, my sister looks outside and notices Miika hiding behind one of the cars,” he said. “We’ve had some dogs come from trails around here, come on to the property and sniff around. She’s pretty good at guarding the house and standing up for herself.”
But he said Miika was backing away and acting scared.
As the group headed outside, Lucoe said a “big, big cat” was sitting in the driveway.
Miika took a moment to bolster up her confidence, he added, and that’s when she ran at the cougar.
“Heart stops a little bit as my dog gets so much closer to this cougar, it’s just surreal,” Lucoe said.
He added while Miika does have good recall, she likely started to panic, along with her human companions, and that’s when she turned around.
“She had to lie down, she was really shaken up about it,” Lucoe said.
Police said the encounter took place near Bear Hill Tuesday afternoon.
Officers said this is a good reminder to be alert and watch your pets when outside.
“I’m glad it worked out the way it did and she’s safe at home now, unharmed,” Lucoe added, saying this is the first time they have seen a cougar in their neighbourhood.
“It was a big cat, probably about three times the size of her.”