2 cougar attacks in 2 weeks on same dog in Bragg Creek has community concerned

“There has been an increased number of encounters between pets, people and cougars lately, which is unusual somewhat,” Renee Delorme, Bragg Creek Wild president, said.

A case of the cat coming back has left a Bragg Creek, Alta., dog and owner wary of the potential for another cougar attack.

Snowa, a Great Pyrenees, was on the back deck of her home west of Calgary when a cougar came and attacked her, resulting in multiple puncture wounds and scratches.

People inside the home scared the cat away by hitting it with a broom.

Two weeks later, a cougar jumped on Snowa as she and her owner exited their home. Her owner emptied a can of bear spray into the cougar’s face to shake it off.

The pair of attacks on the same pet is just one of three known attacks on dogs in the area recently.

Local conservation group Bragg Creek Wild said it’s received multiple recent reports of cougar sightings and interactions.

“There has been an increased number of encounters between pets, people and cougars lately, which is unusual somewhat,” Renee Delorme, Bragg Creek Wild president, said.

Cougars usually avoid contact with humans, she said.