Dog injured in 5th cougar attack near Victoria in recent weeks

Conservation officers say the latest attack happened on April 4, 2022, when a woman was walking a dog on the Sea to Sea Regional Trail near Harbourview Road in Sooke.

Another daytime cougar attack has injured a dog near Sooke, B.C., marking the fifth such attack in recent weeks.

Conservation officers say the latest attack happened around 10 a.m. Monday when a woman was walking a dog on the Sea to Sea Regional Trail near Harbourview Road in Sooke.

The mixed-breed pit bull was walking off-leash when a cougar leapt from the bushes and pounced on the 60-pound pet, according to conservation officer Peter Pauwels.

The wild cat tried to drag the dog into the bushes before the woman began yelling and using her umbrella in an attempt to scare the cougar away.

According to Pauwels, the cat dropped the dog and ran off.

The woman took the injured animal to the veterinarian immediately for treatment of puncture wounds to its head, neck and shoulders.

Sooke cougar attack The dog was treated for puncture wounds to its head, neck and shoulders.

The eight-year-old dog, named Fjøri, did not require surgery and is expected to make a full recovery.

The dog's owner, who was not walking him at the time, says he is doing well on painkillers and antibiotics.

The B.C. Conservation Officer Service was called about the incident around 6 p.m. but did not respond to the scene due to the delay in reporting and the location of the attack, according to Pauwels.

Conservation officers say cougar attacks on dogs have spiked recently, with four prior attacks reported in the Sooke and Metchosin areas in the past three weeks.

All of the attacks occurred within a 16-kilometre radius, which is well within a single cougar's territory, according to Pauwels. However, conservation officers say there's nothing to indicate all five attacks involved the same cougar.

Three dogs involved in the prior attacks survived, while one attack on March 30 proved fatal.

Cougar attack on dog The dog's owner, who was not walking him at the time, says he is doing well on painkillers and antibiotics.

The conservation service has set up trail cameras and a live trap in an effort to track and relocate aggressive cougars. Specially trained tracking dogs are also on standby, according to officers.

Cougars in the region typically eat deer, however residents have reported a significant decrease in deer populations in the past year, according to Pauwels.

The conservation service is asking anyone in the Sooke and Metchosin areas to report cougar sightings immediately at 1-877-952-7277.