A Port Alberni, B.C., man suffered minor injuries when he went to save his dog from a cougar attack on Wednesday evening.
The B.C. Conservation Officer Service says the attack occurred just after 9 p.m. in a residential area of the community along Timberlane Road.
The man had let his small dog outside when a cougar suddenly pounced on the pet, according to the BCCOS.
The man rushed over to the animals and managed to kick the cougar and grab his dog, scaring the predator away.
The conservation service says the man received minor injuries in the encounter, and that the dog was injured but is now recovering from its wounds.
Conservation officers and a tracking dog are in the Mid-Island community searching for the cougar, the BCCOS said Thursday.
The conservation service asks that residents be vigilant and keep their pets on leashes in the meantime.
Earlier this spring, a rash of cougar attacks on pet dogs occurred on Vancouver Island, though generally in the South Island area.
As many as five cougar attacks on dogs were reported in March and early April.
