A Grand Forks man is being credited with saving the life of his daughter’s dog, after it was attacked by a full grown cougar near Christina Lake.

The incident occurred Saturday April 9, at about 1 p.m, and less than 15 metres from Highway 3, near the New Horizons Motel.

Ian Orser said the attack was sudden and frightening.

“I ran over and kicked the cougar in the head, and it let the dog go. I grabbed a stick and I started screaming at it.”

The dog’s head was completely inside the cat’s mouth, said Orser.

“It was totally scary and probably, if you thought about it, you probably wouldn’t have done it. But it had our dog…I really think a few more seconds would have been too late.”

When faced with Orser and his stick, the cougar “sauntered” away.

Orser and his daughter Megan immediately rushed the dog to the veterinary clinic in Grand Forks, fearful during the 21 km drive that he just “wouldn’t make it.”

The Shepherd-Ridgeback cross, known as Red, received approximately 25 stitches at the veterinary clinic in Grand Forks – at a cost of $400 – and is recovering this week.

The local Conservation Office (CO) was notified immediately.

“The CO officers, they were awesome. They were really good about it.”

Officers headed to the scene within minutes of receiving the call, and they told Orser later that the cougar was tracked and euthanized.

“They said it was an old, emaciated cougar in pretty rough shape…He was probably hungry and not very good at hunting anymore.”

Orser declined to comment on the courage it took to attack the cougar with a kick – while wearing soft soled shoes – but remarked happily that “my daughter thinks I’m a hero.”

Black Press has reached out to the CO for comment.

Related: UPDATE: Cougar that killed Vernon house cat euthanized

Related: Cougar kills deer in Summerland neighbourhood

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