Shelby Price/Photo courtesy
On Monday, August 19, a dog was attacked by a mountain lion in Parshall in the early morning hours after the owners let the dog out to do his business. Fortunately for the dog, he is expected to make a full recovery.
Brooks is a four-year-old heeler/collie mix who weighs only about 25 pounds, according to owner Shelby Price. Price explained that her partner, Roger Ryburn, usually lets Brooks out around 6 a.m. every morning.
Price and Ryburn were startled by animal cries. The two rushed outside to find complete chaos. There they found their injured dog. Ryburn could see the mountain lion running away, leaving paw prints in the dirt.
The dog suffered injuries to his head and body and was immediately taken to the vet by his owners. According to Price, she believes Brooks was able to escape and ran between the posts of a horse fence, confusing the mountain lion long enough for him to escape.
“I think her life was saved by her running under that slab and around the chicken coop and then kind of back to the house,” Price said. “The mountain lion was focused on how to get through the slabs and wasn’t thinking about climbing over or under them, so she had plenty of time to escape.”
When a Colorado Parks and Wildlife Administration officer arrived at the scene, there was no sign of the mountain lion.
Since that encounter, Price is grateful to still have her dog.
Price spent many of her younger years in Grand County and remembers never considering cougars a serious threat. Price said she was one of those people who thought, “That probably won’t happen to us if we let our dog out right in our yard.”
Now, however, she hopes that by sharing her story, she can save someone’s life and prevent what happened to Brooks.
“It really turns your emotions upside down. Suddenly I just feel bad that I put my dog in that situation,” Price said.
Price has noticed some behavioral changes in her dog. Brooks is a working dog who is usually seen right next to Price when she is working on the ranch. Price recently set her sights on starting a lavender farm and often works to make her dream a reality, with her dog by her side.
Since the attack, however, she has become much more shy and withdrawn, says Price.
“She goes into the yard, towers over and hides under vehicles. She’s afraid to go out,” Price said.
By sharing this story, Price hopes it can help protect other dogs in Grand County.
Since the meeting, she has also criticized Initiative 91 on social media, which, if passed, would ban the hunting of mountain lions.
“One of our biggest challenges is how do we educate people who have these feelings and love these animals,” Price said. “We’re all the same. We want deer, we want elves, we want mountain lions. Everything has its place. But how do we work together and how do we leave it to the professionals?”
Colorado Parks and Wildlife asks the public to report any cougar activity near developed areas and continues to stress the importance of protecting pets from wildlife..
Some tips to minimize conflict between pets and wildlife include:
- Always keep an eye on your pets outdoors, especially at dawn or dusk.
- Never leave pets or pet food outside.
- Never leave dogs or cats outside unattended after dark.
For more tips, visit CPW.State.CO.US/Protecting-Pets-Wildlife.
