Cougar enters home through dog door
DEXTER, Ore. -- A cougar entered a Dexter-area home through a dog door last month, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said.
The homeowner called her dog, and the cougar left the house, said Brian Wolfer with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The homeowner wasn't too concerned about the late October incident and planned to lock the pet door when not in use, Wolfer said.
However, Wolfer called it "kind of concerning" that a cougar would enter a home that way. He advised homeowners to lock doors and keep pet food secure, even inside the house.
Ed Thompson, who lives in the area, said the incident illustrates the conflict between rural Lane County residents and the cougar population.
"I'm afraid that many people don't understand the breadth of the cougar problem right in Lane County's backyards," Thompson said. "In the Dexter/Pleasant Hill area alone there have been well more than a dozen livestock killings including sheep (two of which were ours), goats and an alpaca just this year."
I find this situation to be EXTREAMLY consering! My husband and our 3 small children live in ruarl areas and have had more cougar sightings and attacks on livestock than able to count around the neighborhood. I understand we live in their home, but they also live in mine! Becouse of this I can't let my children outside alone and even going for a short walk is nerve racking. I find all the jokes to be ignorant. Once you come to face this situation it is very frightning! Espessially when you have 3 tasty lil morsals that hold your soal! I have always been a huge animal lover, however as far as the cougars go......... Shoot as many as you can and get the population down! They will hunt you and eat you!
Anyone who thought stopping cougar hunting with dogs was a good idea is seeing the fruits of their faulty thought process now.
Increased cougar/human confrontations and decimated deer and elk populations are the price we are paying now.
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A cougar coming through a dog door -- every guy's fantasy?
Wow! That must be really big dog door! A Great Dane dog?
Here kitty,kitty,kitty.. I wonder how big her dog is?
I remember when they voted to ban using dogs to hunt them. Â I voted for the ban but with all the cougar incidents that seem to happen with more frequency each year, it appears that might have been a bad idea!
@B Smizzle My understanding of the law, at least the one in WA, is that they can still be hunted with dogs but only by certain registered individuals. The average citizen can't get a permit for it. I'm sure, if there becomes a serious concern for the well-being of Citizen Joe Taxpayer, the government will allow a "culling" of the cougar population in that area (probably done by Wildlife agents though.)
 @katiemcc  @B Not in Oregon it was banned in 94.  However, because of your post I did find this
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http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/04/oregon_house_votes_to_overturn.html
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a few kids will have to be eaten for the rules to change again. What about 10 years back we outlawed hunting with dogs to get cougars.. now they are eating our pets. Good work peta!
 @iamright555 Perhaps humans need to quit being so naive about wild animals and quit making it so easy for them. After all, who would turn down an easy meal over one you have to work for? That is true for animals as much as humans. People who let their animals roam and then are surprised they get eaten by a wild animal just amaze me. However, most domestic pets are in more danger from the neighborhood dog (or the pissed off neighbor) or getting hit by a car then they are from a wild animal. As far as kids go, the odds of a cougar or a coyote attacking them are pretty high. However, if you live in a rural area where wild animals are, you need to teach your kids about them and as a parent you need to supervise your kids.  It's not any animals fault that humans take over THEIR habitat then make themselves an easy target. I'm more in fear of idiot humans like the bow hunter in my rural neighborhood running around looking for the elk he shot. He was in a neighborhood!! shooting elk with a bow!!! Posted private property on top of that!! Humans are a whole lot scarier then any wild animal.
Cougars and Wolfers and Dogs, oh my!
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Man, must be a slow news day, they are reporting on news from last month!
"People don't understand the breadth of the cougar problem"
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My guess is that the cougars were there first and this is a people problem.
 @deejm2112Â
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If you're walking down Wildwood trail and see a cougar following you, I can guarantee that you have a cougar problem. If a cougar comes through my pet door I can guarantee that he's got a human problem. Being somewhere first is irrelevant, just ask Native Americans.
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It's all about perspective and all about reality.
The ODFW agent's name is Wolfer? That's great! It's the little things, people.
Probably looking for a younger man..
 @Pointblank Hee hee!! :)
@Pointblank Ain't that the truth.Its amazing the lengths that a cougar will go through in order to get a younger man.
Cougar hunting is way down and that means less deer and elk and more human encounters.
There are many awesome breeds of livestock guardian dogs. They are highly effective at keeping predators away from livestock. They guard fearlessly 24/7. Ranchers and small farmers should get back to using nature against nature.Â
@leapfrogger Dont forget about certain breeds of cats as pets - A large cute Liger will prevent most any other animal (or space aliens) from intruding within ones home...
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http://www.blogcdn.com/www.pawnation.com/media/2010/11/aries-liger-cub-hercules-picture.jpg
The only thing that would be better then that is a Guard Bear.http://www.comedycentral.com/video-clips/etekxd/that-s-my-bush--guard-bear
 @Dirtman  @leapfrogger Oh my! Yes, that might work--LOL!!