WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – A family dog is recovering after being attacked by a cougar outside of Bellingham.

KIRO reports that a man in Sudden Valley had just let his dog Izzy outside on Saturday morning when the attack occurred.

The man charged toward the giant cat, prompting it to let go of the dog and scamper off.

As for the cougar, My Bellingham Now previously reported that the state Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) doesn’t take action until a family pet or livestock gets attacked.

WDFW Officer Dave Jones spoke with 92.9 KISM’s Brad and John about the team effort it took to rein in the big cat.

“A huge part of this team effort you got officers from Skagit County and you have the biologists that came out and they were a really big help we had one particular biologist that grabbed us roadkill that they had lying around and they used it as bait and we used the trap which typically it’s very, very hard to catch these lions on something they did not kill but thanks to the biologist intervening they were able to team up with us and we were able to catch this cat,” Jones said. 

After being trapped, the cougar was euthanized.

But Jones warns that the threat of additional sightings isn’t over.

 “Please, Whatcom County folks, don’t think ‘aw the lions are now gone’ okay they’re still there just don’t think they’re gone. The troublemaker’s gone but the lions are still there.” 

Izzy the dog went in for emergency surgery immediately after the attack and is now recovering at home.