Colorado Man May Face Charges After Shooting Mountain Lion Attacking Puppy

[Musketeer]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,300499,00.html

Colorado Man May Face Charges After Shooting Mountain Lion Attacking Puppy
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Associated Press

BOULDER, Colo. — Colorado wildlife officials Monday were considering whether a man will face charges in the shooting of a mountain lion that was attacking a puppy.

The shooting happened about 1:30 a.m. Friday in a home near Gross Reservoir west of Boulder, Colorado Division of Wildlife spokeswoman Jennifer Churchill said.

People inside the home heard the attack on one of three dogs that were chained outside the house, went outside, and started yelling at the adult mountain lion. That's when the lion headed toward the armed man, who shot the cat.

"We're investigating what will happen to the person who shot the lion," Churchill told the Daily Camera. "We do have laws that allow people to protect their safety and the their livestock. But this is the tricky gray area of it being a dog."

The puppy was expected to survive. Wildlife officials confiscated the mountain lion.

At least two other mountain lion attacks have been reported in the area, including the Sept. 2 death of a pet miniature horse in the Nederland area southwest of Boulder and the death of a 60-pound Australian shepherd in Nederland on Sept. 27.

Aside from his own safety what would you call your dog if not livestock? It is an animal that you own.

 

[Wildalaska]

That case isnt going anywhere. Up here its called Defense of Life and Property.

If I was the homeoenwer, Id have my lawyer write them a letter to put up or shut up, and if it is shut up, Mr Churchill better be telling the press that the homeowner acted properly.

WildwhatafarceAlasa TM

 

[dwatts47]

Man tries his best to save an animal that he owns, kills a wild animal that no one owns, and may face criminal charges. :barf:

and we wonder why other countries hate america...

 

[glockman19]

Call the CO DOW official investigatin it and voice your opinion:

Erin Roberts
303-877-6094

That there is even talk of an investigation is Ridiculous.

Adult Mountain Lion vs. Human or pet = Dead Mountian Lion

He did the right thing and should be thanked not investigated IMHO.

 

[gb_in_ga]

...That's when the lion headed toward the armed man, who shot the cat.

That alone should make this a non-issue case. Never mind that the puppy is arguably livestock and is therefore defendable. When he shot the cat, it wasn't in defense of the puppy, because the cat had diverted its attention towards a human, namely the shooter. This seems to me like it was a self-defense shoot.

 

[Wildalaska]

Call the CO DOW official investigatin it and voice your opinion:

No.

Dont.

WildthatsadumbthingtodoAlaska ™

 

[Fremmer]

That case isnt going anywhere. Up here its called Defense of Life and Property.

What you folks don't understand is that this happened in Boulder, the liberal-wacko mecca of Colorado. A wonderful place where college kids with nasty dreads, tye-dye tee shirts, and birkenstocks have to worry about parking their $80,000.00 BMW's. You get the drift, right?

Heck, I'd be surprised if the good Boulder authorities didn't charge someone who shot a mountain lion after it had attacked a child. After all, mountain lions have feelings, too......

 

[VA9mm]

I guess he should have waited till the lion sunk it's fangs into him or tickled him with it's claws. The "authorities" have no ground to stand on.

But, isn't chaining up dogs outside in mountain lion country asking for the lion to come get a easy meal? My dogs wouldn't be outside, and I have 2 Pitt Bulls but those mountain lions are no joke.

 

[Wildalaska]

What you folks don't understand is that this happened in Boulder, the liberal-wacko mecca of Colorado. A wonderful place where college kids with nasty dreads, tye-dye tee shirts, and birkenstocks have to worry about parking their $80,000.00 BMW's. You get the drift, right?

O I understand perfectly, thats why the old "Screw you. Nasty letter to follow" lawyer missive would be appropriate.

WildeatthatyatieddyedanimalloverAlaska ™

 

[Wildalaska]

and we wonder why other countries hate america...

Thats a bit over the top, neh?

WildcomeonnowAlaska ™

 

[Davis]

A bit...

The trouble is, to me, that the question was even raised. Why would anyone consider charges in this case? It reminds me of that attacking bear in Maryland or some such place in the east.

Davis

 

[dwatts47]

It's a small sample of the idocy that would lead people to believe that we are.... sevearly misguided in our ways sometimes.

 

[Fremmer]

CU is located in Boulder; a professor there described the 9/11 world-trade center victims as "little Eichmanns."

Welcome to Boulder.

 

[FirstFreedom]

What gb in ga said....

 

[Garand Illusion]

This took place in Boulder county, but not in Boulder city. The county is pretty darn liberal, but has some rural common sense as well.

They're just blowing some hot air. No jury is going to convict a man of shooting a mountain lion. Especially since he said in the article that the lion was moving toward him.

Politicians love to put stories to the newspaper in the light they like. Whenever a homeowner shoots an intruder in Denver, the Denver police generally make a big noise about investigating it and how homeowners shouldn't take the law into their own hands.

But we have a rock solid "castle doctrine" for people in the home, and have since the 80's, and the police know there's no action they can take against the homeowner.

 

[mountainclmbr]

It is Colorado Dept of Wildlife handling this. I also live very close to Gross Reservoir (a mile or so as the crow flies) and have had black bear problems before, but never mountain lions yet. The person could be in Boulder, Jefferson or Gilpin counties. A few years back I heard that a man in this area was charged by CO DOW for shooting a bear that he said was attacking him. The commentary on the radio station quoted the DOW spokesperson as saying that he better have bite marks if he expects to use that arguement. I have been unable to find any additional references to this case.

 

[chris in va]

When I lived in CO, wildlife was on par with cows in India. Shoot something, you're in big trouble...regardless whether it was looking at you like a snack or not.

 

[dbsoundguy]

That's when the lion headed toward the armed man, who shot the cat.

that can't be any clearer

WHAT TO DO
WHAT TO DO

 

[DonR101395]

Follow the 3S rule

Shoot
Shovel
Shutup

 

[Eghad]

Im with Wildybeast on this one a good letter from a lawyer saying shut up or take it to court will probably do the trick. Im hoping Jennifer's boss was a little smarter than her...lol.