One very brave — and very lucky — pup by the name of Rocky, survived an attack from a mountain lion that wandered into his family’s backyard.
The family’s security cameras captured the seven-year-old Pit Bull mix’s heroic actions as he chased the big cat away from his home and his humans.
KTLA reported on the incident, also citing wildlife advice that dog parents should heed for the safety of themselves and their pets.
Rocky Chases A Mountain Lion
While this certainly isn’t something that any canine’s loving family can really imagine happening, it obviously can happen. It happened to Rocky in his La Verne, California backyard.
Mary Padres, Rocky’s mom, was in her backyard when she noticed a mountain lion in the yard with her, staring her down.
“He was literally right here looking at me and I got freaked out and started screaming,” Padres said. “It was humongous. It was huge. It was very, very scary.”
Padres’ screams prompted their family dog, Rocky, to dash out of the house to see what all the fuss was about. Once the dog spotted the big cat, he did what dogs tend to do; he chased it off his property.
The family’s security camera captured the entire event.
A Family Panics
.@lila_seidman writes about Rocky, a 7-year-old shepherd mix, recovering after he charged at mountain lion “to drive him off our property, basically,” his owner said.
Using @dog_rates, I think Rocky deserves a solid 15/10. (Link in story to donate)https://t.co/pTc5sWl3KU
— Jaclyn Cosgrove (@jaclyncosgrove) November 3, 2021
With questionable judgment, the family, including the Padres’ two teenage daughters, went out into the dark looking for their pup.
“We were very terrified that he wouldn’t come back,” Padres said.
Eventually, they found Rocky badly injured up the hillside behind their home. Padres reported to KTLA that he had a head wound so deep that you could see down to the bone.
Rocky’s head injury resulted in 30 stitches, while the rest of his bodily injuries proved less severe. Given that he went toe-to-toe with a predator that excels in night-hunting, he is very lucky.
“Rocky was … protecting us,” Padres said, no doubt proud of her pup. “[He’s] absolutely a fighter. He owns up to his name for sure.”
Wildlife Advice For Dog Parents From Officials
(Picture Credit: SHIVANG MEHTA/Getty Images)Both the La Verne Police Department and the Inland Valley Humane Society urge families of pets to be alert when living in areas with predatorial wildlife.
“It is not typical for California Department of Fish and Wildlife to receive reports of mountain lions attacking dogs,” they said in a joint statement.
“It does occur occasionally when dogs are left outdoors/unprotected at night. If a dog is aggressive toward a mountain lion, it is normal and expected behavior for the mountain lion to defend itself.”
They further reminded that night is “when mountain lions actively hunt,” so pet parents must take precautions against allowing family dogs outside after hours.
Perhaps not venturing outdoors yourself, as a human, also sounds like a mighty fine idea. Or, at the very least, have a properly fenced-off and well lit backyard to shield your home from curious big cats.
The Padres family has started a GoFundMe page to help pay for Rocky’s medical expenses. If you would like to donate, you can do so here.
Do you live in an area with predatorial wildlife? Do you think your dog would defend you from a mountain lion like Rocky did? Then let us know in the comments below.
