The owners of "Bubba," an 11-year-old Labrador retriever, say he was family. They've been grieving his loss ever since they say a mountain lion killed him last weekend. They say Bubba was in the backyard of their home in the hills of Glendale when a mountain lion attacked him.
"Two days after Christmas, about 3 o'clock in the morning, a mountain lion jumped over our fence, jumped over a gate, and killed our 85-pound black Labrador retriever, and then hauled it over the gate and the fence and dragged it about a block and a half away," said the dog's owner, who didn't want to be identified. "A day and a half later we found our dog."
California Department of Fish and Wildlife officials have yet to confirm whether it was a mountain lion or some other wild animal that attacked the dog. However, officials say with the dry conditions along the 210 corridor in Glendale, we may see more mountain lion activity as they might come into neighborhoods looking for food and water.
The Pasadena Humane Society has posted fliers in these neighborhoods warning residents a mountain lion has been prowling in the area.
Bubba's owner says given his backyard wall is rather high, it must have been a large mountain lion that jumped over the wall.
"How do you lift an 85-pound-dog over a fence? Just all the appearances of it looked like it. Hopefully we can get the word out to everyone that lives near the foothills that there are big cats roaming around, and that they can attack not just pets, they could attack other things," said the owner.
Fish and Wildlife officials warn residents to keep pets in at night. They also say it's a good idea to leave the back porch lights on at night to scare off mountain lions and even coyotes.
Glendale Police encourage people to call 911 if they see any wild animal that could threaten the community.
