Ferocious mountain lion snatches Declan the shih tzu at SoCal woman’s front door
A Glendale woman is warning neighbors after a mountain lion grabbed her tiny, button-eyed shih tzu, Declan, and dragged him away from her front door.
“My shih tzu was a bright light — fun, funny, and full of personality. Everyone loved and adored him,” Laura McVay told the Los Angeles Times. “Losing a dog is always hard, but losing such a sweet soul is especially heartbreaking.”
The attack occurred around 11:30 p.m. as McVay brought her five-and-a-half-year-old dog inside near her home in the foothills of the Verdugo Mountains. The small beige-and-gray pup was only a few feet from the door when the mountain lion struck, The Times reported.
“One second we were heading inside — the next, a powerful animal lunged from behind,” McVay said. She felt a sudden force and heard a rush of movement before realizing the mountain lion had grabbed Declan in its jaws. “It was so strong,” she said, describing how she screamed and pulled on Declan’s leash, trying desperately to scare the predator away. Despite her efforts, the big cat overpowered her and disappeared into the nearby hills with her dog.
McVay, a nurse practitioner in palliative care at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, said she was in shock after the attack. Adrenaline initially masked her fear, but she later realized how dangerous the encounter had been. “If I can give any advice, it’s to carry something to protect yourself and your pet,” she said. “If I can save even one life, it will help.”
Wildlife officials remind residents to avoid walking pets at night, keep animals leashed, and stay alert in foothill communities.
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