Puppy missing after cougar grabs it from owner in Anmore

A German shepherd puppy is missing after it was grabbed by a cougar while being walked in Anmore, B.C., late Thursday, according to police.

A man was walking the 10-kilogram dog on a leash in a residential area when a large cougar came out of the bushes and grabbed the pet around 7:00 p.m., according to B.C. Conservation Officer Service.

The man was holding onto the puppy's leash as he kicked at the cougar, but was unable to keep his dog from being taken, according to the service.

"The cougar was able to get the dog from him — and took off with the dog in his mouth," said conservation officer Chris Miller.

It's the second reported cougar attack on a pet in Metro Vancouver this week. 

Early Wednesday, a cougar sprang from the bushes to attack a dog that was out for walk with its owner in Port Moody.

The dog's injuries were so severe it did not survive, despite the owner taking it to an emergency vet, according to a police statement.

It is unknown at this time if the two incidents — which happened approximately 2.5 kilometres apart —are linked to the same animal, the conservation service said.

Miller warned pet owners to avoid walking their dogs at dawn or dusk, even on a leash, because that's when cougars are most active.

Any sightings of a cougar or other wild animals in residential or urban areas should be reported to the B.C. Conservation Officers Service, but police say 911 should be called if it appears to be an emergency.