Man fends off mountain lion, staples dog's wounds closed after attack on pet

PLACERVILLE, Calif. (KCRA) —A Placerville man saved his 8-year-old dog Tiki from the jaws of a mountain lion Wednesday night.

Kirk Fetter woke up around 11:30 p.m. when he heard a commotion out on his deck, where Tiki sleeps. When he stepped outside, he saw Tiki in the wild animal's mouth.

"The mountain lion apparently came up here and snatched her," Fetter said.

Only in his underwear, Fetter charged toward the mountain lion.

"My wife did throw a couple buckets and stuff that was on the deck at the dog-gone thing as I was running down there," Fetter explained. "[My wife] completely freaked out when I was down here because the mountain lion didn't let go until I was right on top of it."

Tiki has puncture wounds on her head and ear, as well as a cut on her stomach.

There wasn't a vet available -- so Fetter "hand-stapled" Tiki's wounds until he could take her to the veterinarian Thursday morning.

The veterinarian checked Tiki out and said she is expected to be ok.

Fretter hopes his story will remind others to be more aware of wild animals.

"It's that time of year that deer are coming down off the mountains and mountain lions are following them," Fetter said.

It's one of the challenges that come with living in a secluded area.

"Keep your pets in at night and watch your children at dusk," Fetter added.

This story originally appeared on KCRA.com