Mountain lion takes small dog from Bay Area bedroom

A mountain lion snatched a small dog from a Pescadero bedroom in the early morning hours Monday, after the residents reportedly left their French doors partially open for the dog to go outside, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff's office.

The dog, a 15-pound Portuguese Podengo, was at the foot of a bed near the dog's owner and a child when it woke them up around 3 a.m. by "barking aggressively."

The adult witness told authorities she saw the shadow of an animal come into the room through the French doors, grab the dog from the bed, and walk out. When she grabbed a flashlight, she saw "large wet paw prints" near the bedroom's entrance, and called 911.

When police arrived on scene, they discovered paw prints resembling those of a mountain lion, and notified the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

In this file photo, a mountain lion is seen in a photo taken by remote camera in the Sunol Regional Wilderness and the Ohlone Regional Wilderness in Sunol, California on July 26, 2013. In this file photo, a mountain lion is seen in a photo taken by remote camera in the Sunol Regional Wilderness and the Ohlone Regional Wilderness in Sunol, California on July 26, 2013. Photo: Steven Bobzien, East Bay Regional Park District Photo: Steven Bobzien, East Bay Regional Park District Image 1 of / 17 Caption Close Mountain lion takes small dog from Bay Area bedroom 1 / 17 Back to Gallery

Now, the San Mateo authorities are advising and reminding local residents to secure their doors and windows before sleeping, and to heed the advice posted on the department's website about avoiding mountain lion interactions.