Comes the news (making its way through the local newsgroups) that a MIllard Canyon cabin resident’s dog was almost dragged away by one or two cougars this morning (Sunday).  The report says:

[The cabin resident] was awakened this morning by yelping. In her bathrobe and wooden clogs she turned on an outdoor light to see a large cougar attempting to drag Ford [her German shepherd] across the deck with the cat’s jaws clamped around the dog’s throat. [She] hollered at the cat, ran over, and bonked it multiple times with her wooden clog until the cougar dropped the dog and fled to the fenced front yard. [She] retreated with the dog, who was able to get himself back inside the cabin. [She] then returned with a bright spotlight and continued to yell at the cat. The cougar paced the high fence trying to escape, then pulled itself over the gate and vanished.

Perhaps more disquieting, [she] heard a noise on her roof a while after the attack. When she investigated, she saw a cougar up there. It may have been a second cat instead of the first cougar returning. Sub-adult males will often travel together. She again hollered at the cougar to go away, shined a bright light at it, and set off a loud air horn. The cougar left.