A 7-year-old lab named Ella living in the foothills of Cedar Hills., Utah has become a hero to her family after saving the children from a mountain lion that was stalking them in their own backyard.
Ella’s owner, Crystal Michaelis, said the scary encounter happened on Tuesday night (Aug 2) while her kids were playing with the dog.
“She was on point. She’s a hunting dog but she was just on point,” Crystal told KSLTV.
Crystal said the mountain lion was hiding in some rocks near the backyard and she didn’t know it was there at the time but Ella sure did.
“She kept looking at the kids and then quickly looking back,” Crystal said. “She was just being very cautious and my daughter thought it was very concerning.”
The children ended up going inside after a while and that’s when the big fight went down between the dog and the big cat.
The family said they didn’t even know the two animals were getting into a fight but they believe the mountain lion snuck onto the property and that’s when Ella defended her territory.
“We opened the back door and found Ella just bloodied. There was blood all over the door and all over the patio,” Crystal said.
Ella, a 7-year-old lab, suffered cuts on her head, neck, legs, her tongue, and has 30+ bites on her body after protecting her family from a mountain lion in Cedar Hills. We’ll have this story tonight on @KSL5TV at 6:30. #ksltv pic.twitter.com/gTaA9I3Djk
— Alex Cabrero (@KSL_AlexCabrero) July 20, 2022
Ella had many severe cuts on her face, nose, tounge, legs, and neck but most of the injuries were on her shoulder. They immediately rushed her to the vet where she was taken in to be treated for more than 30 bites and claw marks on her body.
“Which means she never let down and stayed in that protective stance and defend it,” Crystal said.
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources says it’s not uncommon to see mountain lions in the area but one attacking someone’s pet is. Wildlife officers said they found tracks in the yard where the fight happened and they are currently trying to track down the cat.
Authorities also said there are goats in a nearby yard and it’s possible that was the reason the mountain lion was in the area in the first place.
“They’ve also seen deer wandering through this area and since deer are kind of the main food source for cougars, they will often follow where deer go,” said Faith Jolley, DWR public information officer.
More On The Mountain Lion Story Below