Recent reports confirm that a mountain lion killed a beloved rescued Pit Bull, Gigi, in LA’s Sylmar neighborhood. Following the incident, a local neighborhood council issued a “Wildlife Warning” for the San Fernando Valley residents.
KTLA reported that Gigi, a rescued Pit Bull, was out for a walk with her owner when the mountain lion attacked her. A woman from inside a nearby vehicle was able to record a video of the happenings. Another man came forward, claiming he also witnessed the frightening incident.
Warning issued to dog owners after mountain lion kills Pit Bull
According to KTLA, officials in the San Fernando Valley neighborhood have issued a “Wildlife Warning.” The notice comes in light of a mountain lion attack on a pet Pit Bull in LA’s Sylmar area. In the official notice, Sylmar Neighborhood Council President Kurt Cabrera-Miller stated, “As we know, living in this wonderful community, we are cohabitating with an abundance of wildlife. Coyotes, raccoons, the occasional bear and lately, a fairly large mountain lion – perhaps a couple of them.”
The wildcat snatched Gigi, a rescued Pit Bull, while she was on a walk with her owner, Mark Rulon. The feline then began mauling the dog in the middle of the road. Several people later reported witnessing the vicious attack, which occurred in the Oakridge Mobile Home Park area.
Reportedly, a woman recorded the incident from inside a nearby car. Another man, Rey Constante, claimed he witnessed the horrifying ordeal as soon as he turned on his car’s high beams. While speaking with the outlet’s Gene Kang, Constante said, “I was thinking ‘What do I do now?’ but there really isn’t much [I could] do because the mountain lion looked up at me and growled.”
Constante later wrote a comment on Facebook, warning residents of the LA neighborhood about the mountain lion, reported Fox 11. The comment stated, “Huge mountain lion just killed our neighbors dog, I’m worried about the owners since the dog still had a leash on it, beautiful pit bull now dead. Oakridge residents, do not walk your pets at night, this animal is still roaming around untagged waiting for the next victim.”
The other female witness managed to scare off the mountain lion before trying to help the Pit Bull Gigi. The owner, Mark Rulon, just had enough time to spend the last few moments hugging and kissing the rescue dog. Rulon described Gigi as “one of the friendliest dogs we ever rescued.” He added, “There isn’t a single person that Gigi ever met that she didn’t want to kiss…she was just the sweetest dog in the world.”
Mark Rulon made a tribute post to Gigi on Facebook, noting that there is “no ill will” towards the mountain. He also added that the wildcat was “just trying to survive.” Rulon had recently brought the five-year-old dog into LA’s Sylmar neighborhood before the mountain lion attack. Gigi was adopted from the Southern California Pit Bull Rescue.
