Cougar attacks on dogs in Tri-Cities leave Anmore mayor worried, residents ‘scared’

ANMORE (NEWS 1130) – Dog owners in the Tri-Cities are on edge this weekend after a dog was killed by a cougar for the second time this week, while the mayor of Anmore is calling for something to be done before someone gets hurt.

A three-month-old German Shepherd puppy was snatched by a cougar in Anmore Thursday night while being walked on a leash by its owner, who is a Coquitlam Search and Rescue volunteer who got the dog just last week. Two days before, a small dog was fatally attacked by a cougar in Port Moody.

Anmore Mayor John McEwan calls the attacks very concerning, saying he has been working with the B.C. Conservation Officer Service (BCCOS).

“I feel one of my number one goals is to make sure the health and safety of all residents is maintained, and these recent activities with the cougars within neighbouring municipalities in Port Moody and such has become an issue and needs to be addressed fair expeditiously before somebody gets hurt,” he tells NEWS 1130.

McEwan says the conservation service has told him there are about four cougars roaming the area, and patrols have been increased this weekend, as work is underway to figure out the next steps.

However, McEwan says residents, especially pet owners, are feeling uneasy after the recent attacks.

“They’re scared. They’re scared to go walking, which is one of the things during COVID that we’re trying to get people out doing, and they’re scared to put their pets in a backyard in a fenced area,” he says.

“We’ve never had attacks like this from a cougar. There have been cougars spotted, but they’re normally very rare. This is out of the norm, where you have a cougar, like I said, attacked a resident for its puppy.”

‘Not normal behaviour’

McEwan says the BCCOS shares the same concerns and said the attacks aren’t normal behaviour.

“I understand there’s another side to the story about, you know, protecting the animals but this is not normal behaviour, and that’s what my issue is,” he says.

“The one thing that the conservation officer really kept stressing to me and saying, ‘Look, we’ve got to take the emotion out of this as emotionally packed as this is, and we have to deal with the science,’ and so, I believe that they (BCCOS) have to get some authorization from Victoria from the behavioural biologists before next steps can be taken,” he says.

Vanessa Isnardy, Provincial WildSafeBC Coordinator explains the recent circumstances give reason to be extra vigilant.

“With this increase in reports of cougar activity, we recommend people either avoid those areas or avoid walking their pets, even on a leash, at times when cougar activities at its highest, which is at dusk overnight and early dawn. This also makes it hard to see cougars and maybe in the area when it’s dark, and it can also be challenging when there’s heavy forest cover,” she explains, while advising owners to check their yard before letting their pets out and to supervise small animals.

Isnardy also recommends carrying bear spray, pointing to the WildSafeBC website for more information on using bear spray.

“If you see a cougar, it is important that you do not run as this can provoke an attack – face the cougar, make yourself look as big as possible. Do not crouch or turn your back. If you’re with small children or small pets, pick them up, keep older children close and tell them to remain calm and stay close. If the cougar is watching you, you want to maintain eye contact and yell in a low loud voice back out of the area and seek shelter,” she adds.

In the attack on the small dog in Port Moody Tuesday night, the owner hadn’t heard the cougar come out of the bushes that night before it jumped on top of his dog. While the owner was able to kick the cougar away and rush his dog to the emergency vet, its injuries were too severe and the dog had to be put down.

The BCCOS says it will be in Port Moody and Anmore for the foreseeable future as it continues to investigate cougar sightings and interactions.

The service says signs have been placed in the area and it’s working with officials to increase awareness and public safety.

It is also consulting with biologists to determine next steps.