PLEASANT GROVE, Utah — Police warned residents in Utah to watch their small children and pets after a dog was attacked by a mountain lion on Tuesday.
In a social media post, the Pleasant Grove Police Department issued the warning Wednesday after the Utah Department of Wildlife Resources confirmed the attack.
Police said the dog was attacked while in a yard and not the nearby foothills.
The owners of the dog explained that their children were out swimming when their hunting dog, who normally plays with them, was on high alert near their rock wall.
When one of the children tried to get her down, the dog nudged them away.
The kids went inside and a few minutes later, found their beloved pet on the back porch with an injury.
"My older son immediately came out, well we tried to come out and she wouldn't even let us come out, so she hurry and came in and she kept looking over to the one side of our house, and she came in and she kind of just collapsed," said Crystal Michaelis, who owns the dog.
Michaelis believes their dog was protecting her kids from the mountain lion.
"I believe wholeheartedly that she was protecting them because it was within seconds that they came in and this all happened," she said.
Anyone using or walking near the Murdock Canal is urged to be cautious.
"Please be aware of your surroundings and know where small children are at all times. Please consider bringing pets indoors," the department wrote.
Last month, officials trapped and euthanized a mountain lion that was seen in a Pleasant Grove neighborhood.
This article was written by Jeff Tavss for KSTU.
