Ella, a 7-year-old yellow Labrador retriever, heroically defended her family from a mountain lion in Cedar Hills, Utah, on July 19, as reported by KSLTV News. Despite being bitten more than 30 times, Ella is expected to make a full recovery after the ordeal.
The incident occurred while Crystal Michaelis and her children were playing in their backyard. Although Michaelis didn’t initially spot the mountain lion, she noticed Ella’s unusual behavior as the dog anxiously looked between the children and the area where the predator was concealed.
“She kept glancing between the kids and the area where the mountain lion was hiding,” Michaelis recalled. “Her cautious behavior made my daughter very uneasy.”
Concerned, Michaelis decided to take her children inside. When they returned to the patio door, they were met with a horrifying sight—Ella was covered in severe cuts on her head, face, legs, tongue, and neck. “We opened the back door and found Ella covered in blood. It was smeared all over the door and the patio,” Michaelis recounted.
Although the family didn’t witness the actual confrontation, officers from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources discovered mountain lion tracks leading to the scene of the fight. Wildlife officials suggested that the mountain lion might have been stalking some goats in a neighbor’s yard and inadvertently ventured too close to the Michaelis’ home.
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) has not reported any further sightings of the mountain lion, but they have issued warnings to local residents, urging them to remain vigilant and stay safe. “Deer have also been spotted in the area, and since deer are a primary food source for cougars, the predators often follow where the deer go,” explained Faith Jolley, DWR’s public information officer.
Ella suffered more than 30 bite wounds, all concentrated from her shoulders up. “This indicates she never backed down, maintaining her protective stance throughout the encounter,” Michaelis shared with reporters. Despite the severity of her injuries, Ella is expected to make a full recovery.
