Woman in Palmer Lake warns others after losing dog to mountain lion
PALMER LAKE, Colo. (KRDO) -- Cindy Lalond said her sweet dog Macee was gone in an instant.
She let the 10-pound Yorkipoo out into her Palmer Lake front yard, and just feet from her front door, a mountain snatched Macee.
"I could see his big huge tail, and I could tell where his head was, that poor little Macee was in his mouth. He did not run at all," Lalond said. "[I was] in shock for a good like 10-15 seconds. Then, all of a sudden, he just went and jumped over the fence."
Lalond grabbed a flashlight and tried to find Macee, but to no avail.
"That was the most horrific thing I have ever experienced in my whole entire life," Lalond said. "I have to get the word out. I cannot have somebody else go through what our whole family has gone through. It is, it's just unbelievable."
After thinking about it more, she realized her grandson plays out in the front yard sometimes as well, and she immediately became worried that the outcome could've been even worse.
"He's five years old. Sometimes, he leaves toys out in the yard. And he says, 'Grandma, I'll be right back,'" Lalond said. "That could have been him instead of Macee."
Lalond wants people, especially in Palmer Lake, to know that mountain lions are closer than you might think.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) posted a tweet Sunday of a similar encounter in a Boulder backyard from early February, thankfully that dog survived.
Mountain lions can wander into neighborhoods, especially those near open spaces or good lion habitat, even if the neighborhood isn't good habitat itself. It's important to not let your dogs outside unattended dusk through dawn & even better if you take them out on a leash. pic.twitter.com/qJwQDkSfEU
— CPW NE Region (@CPW_NE) February 14, 2022
CPW recommends always having your pets on a leash and never leaving them unsupervised in your backyard. Their website includes several tips on how to live with mountain lions, click here to learn more.
