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Cougar shot, killed in La Pine backyard
Posted: Jan 22, 2008 10:23 PM
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La Pine man finds cougar chasing dog in backyard (1/22)


La Pine homeowner Robert Daugherty used cell-phone camera to snap photo of cougar that was killed in backyard

Also on KTVZ.com
Cougar shot, killed in La Pine home's backyard

By Nina Mehlhaf, KTVZ.COM

A cougar in the unfenced backyard of a La Pine home chased a family dog Tuesday morning, then started in toward a State Police trooper. Now it's dead, and the homeowner is left frightened.

Scary moments Tuesday morning when the 100-pound big cat tried to make a meal out of a family dog.

"If I hadn't come home and had my daughter follow me outside, she would have been caught between cougar and my dogs, and the sheriff's department said it would have been a bad scene," said a relieved Robert Daugherty.

The 3-year-old male cat lurked into the yard of Daugherty's home on Strawn Road around 9:45 Tuesday morning, just after his two dogs were let outside.

"I looked out into my backyard, and I saw a cougar taking a swipe at my female dog," Daugherty said later. "And then my male dog jumped over the top of her and got between the cougar and my female dog."

The violent chase was evident by all the paw prints left in the snow.

But the dogs were enough to scare the big cat up into this tree, giving Daugherty time to call police.

Corey Heath, a wildlife biologist with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, said, "By the time the trooper got there, the cougar started back down the tree, and the sheriff's deputy shot the cougar in the man's backyard."

Wildlife officials say the sad ending to the incident was a must, as the cat had already been desensitized to people and neighborhoods. They say if he had been tranquilized, he would have just made his way back to the same area, endangering people and pets.

The mountain lion's body was brought back to the ODFW offices in Bend and will be dissected to determine its age and learn about its health and reproductive past.

http://www.ktvz.com/Global/story.asp?S=7757392

Cougar shot, killed in La Pine home's backyard
Posted: Jan 22, 2008 04:23 PM

Cougar's location in La Pine-area neighborhood helped convince officials it was best to euthanize the animal

Homeowner found big cat chasing family dog

By Barney Lerten, KTVZ.COM

A La Pine-area resident found a cougar chasing the family dog in his backyard Tuesday morning and contacted authorities, who soon determined the best course of action was to fatally shoot the now-treed animal due to its location in a populated area, officials said.

A Deschutes County sheriff's deputy and Oregon State Police responded to the home of Robert Daugherty on Strawn Road, off Day Road north of Burgess Road, shortly before 10 a.m. on a report of a cougar chasing the dog in the backyard, said a news release from Deputy Tim Leak and Sgt. Ronny Dozier.

Daugherty's child had just let the dogs out and also was getting ready to go outside to play, the deputies said, adding that the homeowner was able to get the dog back inside the house unhurt.

When the deputy arrived, the cougar was still there, in a tree about 30 yards from the house, Leak and Dozier said.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and federal Department of Agriculture Wildlife Division were contacted to evaluate what action to take, Leak and Dozier said.

"Due to the nature (daytime) of the attack, in a heavily populated area and the apparent acclimation to human presence, the cougar was" put down, they said. OSP took the cougar to ODFW offices in Bend "for scientific study and educational purposes," their release stated.

ODFW biologist Steven George told KTVZ.COM the decision to euthanize the animal "was the best thing in that situation. ... lots of houses around, attempting to kill one of the pets."

Leak and Dozer reminded citizens "to enjoy and appreciate the wildlife of the area but to avoid direct contact with wildlife when possible and in situations such as this remain in a safe location and call 911."