Ferocious mountain lion snatches Declan the shih tzu at SoCal woman’s front door

A Glendale woman is warning residents of a mountain lion after it grabbed her button-eyed, adorable little shih tzu named Declan and dragged the tiny dog away from her front door.

“My shih tzu was a bright light and just fun and funny and had a great personality and everyone loved and adored him,” Laura McVay told the Los Angeles Times. “Losing a dog is always hard, but when it’s such a sweet soul like he was, it’s especially hard.”

McVay said she was bringing her five-and-a-half-year-old dog Declan back inside around 11:30 p.m. when the attack happened outside her home in the foothills near the Verdugo Mountains. The small beige-and-gray pup was only “feet away from the door,” The Times reported.

One second they were heading inside — the next, a powerful animal lunged from behind.

McVay said she felt a sudden force and heard a rush of movement before realizing a mountain lion had clamped its jaws around her tiny companion.

“It was so strong,” she told the paper of the mountain lion, describing how she screamed and pulled on Declan’s leash, trying desperately to scare the predator away. Despite her efforts, the big cat overpowered her and disappeared into the nearby hills with her dog.

McVay, a nurse practitioner who works in palliative care at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, said she was in shock after the attack. Adrenaline masked her fear in the moment, she said, though later she realized how dangerous the encounter could have been.

“If I can give any advice, it’s to carry something to protect you and your animal,” she said. “If I can save at least one life, that will help.”

Wildlife officials advise residents to avoid walking pets at night, keep animals leashed, and remain vigilant in foothill communities.

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