Brave Dog Fights Off Mountain Lion In La Verne To Protect Family

LA VERNE, CA — Just call him "Super Dog." A brave pooch in La Verne is being called a hero after recently defending his family from a large mountain lion.

Mary Padres told CBS Los Angeles that the big cat was lurking around her back yard Monday. The two even shared stares.

“The mountain lion was looking right at me,” she told the TV station.

Without thinking twice, Padres bolted back into her house. However, her pit bull, Rocky, had other plans. According to the TV station, the family's pup went after the huge feline and chased it way from the family's property.

But it came with a price. Rocky suffered multiple large puncture wounds and had to receive more than two dozen stitches. The good news is that he's expected to be OK.

His injuries, however, serve as an example of just how far man's best friend will go to protect the ones they love.

According to U.S. Forest Service, about half of California is prime mountain lion country — a surprise to some residents and visitors.

The big cats can weight up to 150 pounds and measure more than 8 feet in length.

Since 1890, there have been only a few verified mountain lion attacks on humans in California, six of them fatal. In most cases, the person was alone when the attack occurred, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife reports. The last documented human-lion attack occurred June 2020 in San Diego County.

So what should you do if you encounter a mountain lion? The California Department of Fish and Wildlife offers these tips:

• Keep Children Close To You: Observations of captured wild mountain lions reveal that the animals seem especially drawn to children. Keep children within your sight at all times.
• Do Not Approach a Lion: Most mountain lions will try to avoid a confrontation. Give them a way to escape.
• Do Not Run From a Lion: Running may stimulate a mountain lions instinct to chase. Instead, stand and face the animal. Make eye contact. If you have small children with you, pick them up if possible so they don't panic and run. Although it may be awkward, pick them up without bending over of turning away from the mountain lion.
• Do Not Crouch Down or Bend Over: Research has surmised that a human standing up is just not the right shape for a cat's prey. On the other hand, a person squatting or bending over looks a lot like a four-legged prey animal. If you're in mountain lion country, avoid squatting, crouching or bending over, even when picking up children.
• Do All You Can To Appear Larger: Raise you arms. Open your jacket if you are wearing one. Again, pick up small children. Throw stones, branches or whatever you can reach without crouching or turning your back. The idea is to convince the mountain lion that you are not prey and that you may be a danger to it.
• Fight Back if Attacked: A hiker in Southern California used a rock to fend off a mountain lion that was attacking his son. Others have fought back successfully with sticks, caps, jackets, garden tools and their bare hands. Since a mountain lion usually tries to bite the head or neck, try to remain standing and face the attacking animal.
• Report All Encounters Or Attacks: Contact the Department of Fish and Game or the local sheriff's office.