Cougar

 

       11 year old Austin Forman, says he's grateful his dog Angel saved him from a charging cougar. A boy from Boston Bar, B.C., whose golden retriever saved him from a charging cougar, says he wouldn't be alive if his dog hadn't stepped in.

 

    

  

 

                Austin was gathering firewood in his backyard garden at about 5 p.m. Saturday when his 18-month old dog, Angel, started acting strangely.

      Angel started following him to and from the woodshed, Austin said, almost as though she was checking to make sure he was OK.

      

      Suddenly, Angel ran toward Austin and jumped over a lawn mower — right into the path of a charging cougar.

   "I knew at that moment that I would have to go get help, otherwise Angel wouldn't have any hope," Austin said.

     Angel, credited with saving  the boy's life, suffered only minor injuries. As Angel fought the cougar, Austin ran inside, where his mother called 911.

        When the RCMP arrived on the scene minutes later, they found the cougar under the back porch of the house, chewing on Angel's neck.

        An officer shot the cougar, killing it, firing two rounds into its hind quarters.

When the officer finally shot and killed the wild cat, its jaws remained closed on the dog's face.

     When the cat was finally killed, the dog was silent for a few moments, then took a big gasp of air and got to her feet.       Austin said it was the first time he'd ever seen a cougar in the yard.

   "I was shocked and scared at the same time. I wasn't expecting a cougar at all to be in our yard," he said.

       "I feel very, very lucky. If it wasn't for my dog, I don't think I would be here."

   Austin said he now feels very differently about Angel.

    "She was my best friend, but now she's more than a best friend — she's like my guardian now."

                  Angel suffered some puncture wounds on her head, neck and one of her hind legs. Austin was not hurt.

   Boston Bar is located roughly midway between Vancouver and Kamloops.

     

                "I was really scared. At first, I didn't know it was a cougar. I thought it was another dog," Austin told. 
               "As soon as it went underneath the light, I saw that it was a cougar. I knew at that moment, I had to go inside."

   The boy fled into his home, yelling: "A cougar is eating Angel!"

         Sherri Forman, Austin's mother, called police, and a nearby constable from the RCMP sped to the scene, where the wild cat was attacking the dog.

        The cougar had dragged Angel under the porch, where it continued to savage the dog's neck.

             The dog, which has a swollen eye, was expected to recover with the help
of a local vet.

        Mrs. Forman praised the family pet.

              "She must've known something was up," she said. "Now, she's our guardian
angel."

Jesus is so kind to take care of us in so many dangers.