State game officials trapped and killed a cougar Saturday after it attacked a family\u2019s dog in the yard of their Sudden Valley home, and it\u2019s possibly the same animal that\u2019s been seen repeatedly over the past few months in suburban Geneva more than 4 miles west.<\/p>\n
Video from the residents\u2019 doorbell camera early Saturday shows the big cat trotting down the driveway with the small dog in its mouth, then quickly climbing a tree across the street. Seconds later, a man races off the porch in pursuit, then throws rocks at the cougar, which drops the dog.<\/p>\n
\u201cI heard a couple of yelps, and there\u2019s this cougar there with my Izzy in its mouth. It\u2019s just so surreal,\u201d Denise Buchanan told The Bellingham Herald in a phone interview.<\/p>\n
Izzy, a chihuahua-dachshund-Yorkie mix, survived a cougar attack Feb. 27 outside its owners\u2019 Sudden Valley home east of Bellingham. Denise Buchanan Courtesy to The Bellingham Herald <\/p>\n
Izzy, a Chihuhua-dachshund-Yorkie mix, was resting at home Monday after emergency surgery for puncture wounds on its head and neck, Buchanan said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIzzy\u2019s hanging on and doing well. So far, so good. We\u2019re keeping our fingers crossed,\u201d Buchanan said.<\/p>\n
Buchanan said the attack came as she let Izzy out to do her business about 7:30 a.m. Saturday. The dog always stays a few steps from the front door in their quiet semi-wooded neighborhood near the golf course a few hundred yards away from Lake Whatcom.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe usually open the door and let Izzy straight out first thing. This was daylight, like 7 or 7:30. This was just eight steps from my front door,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
She called her husband, Jack, a \u201chero\u201d for chasing the cougar and making it drop Izzy.<\/p>\n
\u201c(The cougar) was just sitting there hissing at him. Then it jumped out of the tree and ran between two houses,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Denise scooped up the injured dog, and Jack drove to an emergency veterinarian, who stitched the wounds and checked for internal damage.<\/p>\n
By the time they returned an hour or so later, their neighborhood was crawling with state Department of Fish and Wildlife personnel and curious bystanders, Buchanan said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWDFW Police officers and wildlife conflict staff placed a trap near the incident and successfully trapped a male cougar weighing 145 pounds a few hours later. The animal was lethally removed by an officer. WDFW will continue to monitor the area south of Lake Whatcom and north of Galbraith Mountain, Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman Becky Elder told The Herald in an email.<\/p>\n
Recent cougar encounters<\/p>\n
Residents of Geneva and across Sudden Valley \u2014 from the golf course to areas near the Lookout Mountain Forest Preserve \u2014 have been reporting cougar sightings<\/a> since December, according to Fish and Wildlife, social media in Sudden Valley, and callers to The Herald.<\/p>\n Elder said the reports might all be the same big male.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is probable due to the size that it is the same cougar seen in that area; although we cannot definitively confirm that it is the same animal,\u201d Elder said in an email.<\/p>\n Fish and Wildlife\u2019s Chase Gunnell told The Herald last week that they\u2019d stepped up patrols because of recent sightings.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cSightings or video alone are typically not cause for removing a cougar under wildlife management protocols if the cat has not depredated on pets or livestock or acted aggressively toward people. WDFW Police and wildlife conflict specialists have been monitoring the situation closely for new developments or abnormal behavior. This includes increased patrols in the area as well as outreach to neighbors, schools, and community groups,\u201d Gunnell said in an email on Friday.<\/p>\n \u201cWDFW responded quickly to a call from near Lookout Mountain yesterday, Feb. 26, of cougars passing through in the daylight, likely an adult and two juveniles traveling together. Considering this report of increased daytime activity, we are currently assessing the situation, continuing to patrol the area, and planning potential next steps,\u201d Gunnell said.<\/p>\n Gunnell said residents should report cougar sightings by calling 877-933-9847 or submitting an online report.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cFor urgent public safety issues or people in immediate danger, call 911. If needed, ask the dispatcher to connect you with Washington Fish and Wildlife Police,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n More information on cougars<\/a> in Washington is available on WDFW\u2019s webpage.<\/p>\n .<\/p>\n This story was originally published March 2, 2026 at 12:49 PM.<\/p>\n Related Stories from Bellingham Herald<\/p>\n A trail camera photographed a cougar along a hiking trail in the Lake Whatcom watershed last fall. City of Bellingham Courtesy to The Bellingham Herald Geneva neighborhood sightings<\/p>\n
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