Mountain lion appears to 'see stars' after dog owner kicks it

A man walking his small dog in Boulder, Colorado, on Thursday night was confronted by a mountain lion that apparently saw the dog as its next meal.

The cougar crossed the road toward Juan Gutierrez, who was walking his 14-year-old Pomeranian mix named Riley, as reported by KDVR.

“I'm pretty sure (Riley) thought it was another dog,” Gutierrez told KDVR in an on-camera interview. “I shouted for me to go back, I shouted four to five times and nothing, the cat didn't care.”

As the mountain lion approached, Gutierrez tried something else.

“I just shined a light on his face and when he was very disturbed, I kicked him,” he said. “He looked at me and then looked up at the sky. I don't know if he was seeing stars or something.”

Gutierrez then retreated slowly with the dog, again without incident.

Gutierrez is sure it's the same mountain lion that was reported roaming the streets a half-mile away two nights earlier.

While inside his car, Evan Price captured a video of the cougar walking along the 16th^th and Iris Avenue, as reported by KDVR.

That mountain lion seemed to be limping. Some suspect it was looking for a snack, in this case Riley.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife told KDVR that its staff was unable to locate the mountain lion after encountering the man and his dog.

For Riley, it was another matter of survival. The dog has survived attacks from a black bear, a dog and cancer. And now, a possible mountain lion attack.

Featured image courtesy of Evan Price via KDVR.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Mountain lion appears to 'see stars' after dog's owner kicks it.