The dog’s owner said he kicked the cougar in the back of the head while it had the dog pinned to the ground.
OLYMPIA, Wash. — A dog is recovering after it was attacked by a cougar in Jefferson County, inside the Olympic National Forest.
Lucas Rogers, his wife, and his dog Arlo were on a hiking trip along the Duckabush River Trail on Friday, April 26. Rogers said Arlo was leashed to a tree as the couple prepared to sleep.
“He started barking at something, he was whining a little bit… I didn’t think anything of it. I got up and was like, ‘I’ll probably bring you [inside] in a minute,’ Rogers said. “I just heard my wife screaming, ‘Get off! Stop!’ It was just a bunch of screaming and I didn’t know what was going on. I came running back and the last thing on my mind was that he would be pinned by a cougar.”
Rogers immediately approached the animal.
“I just, in a fit of adrenaline, anxiety, I don’t know really what took over,” he said, “but I went and kicked the cougar in the back of his head as hard as I could and the cougar ran off.”
Rogers estimates the whole attack lasted only 30 seconds.
Arlo has several wounds on his body, neck and head. Rogers said the cougar was about twice the size of Arlo, approximately 65-80 pounds.
“He’s really tough. He’s literally the champion of this. He got attacked and was pinned to the ground,” he said. “Now he’s more chipper today. A little more himself.”
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) said officials have posted additional signage near the trail where the attack was reported.
According to the agency, cougar attacks are extremely rare. There have been two fatal attacks on humans and about 20 injuries recorded over the last 100 years in Washington state, a spokesperson said.
In 2019, WDFW posted a safety video aimed at preventing attacks. More information is available on its website.
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