Dog injured in moose attack

SANDPOINT - A local dog is recuperating at home after surviving a moose attack late last week.

Sandpoint resident Betty Johnson was leaving her Main Street home last Thursday with her dog, Buck, when a cow moose charged.

The moose, who had been milling around the neighborhood for more than a week, was resting on the far edge of her backyard just before the attack, Johnson said.

Moments after leaving her house, Johnson said the moose leapt to its feet, raced to the house and stomped on Buck.

"My God, I can't believe how fast she was," Johnson said. "I was screaming, and she got up here, right to the edge of the deck, and whirled around and she just let Buck have it and he just collapsed."

The attack ended as abruptly as it began with the moose turning around and running away.

Johnson took Buck, a soft-coated Wheaton terrier, to the North Idaho Animal Hospital, where he received numerous stitches and had a drain put into his chest.

Buck will survive, but Johnson wants her experience with the moose to act as a wake up call about the dangers of living in such a close proximity to wild animals.

"I just hope everyone becomes really aware that they are wild and you just don't know what they're going to do," Johnson said. "Let's just leave them alone because they're very stressed."

Matt Haag, an Idaho Fish and Game conservation officer, echoed Johnson's advice. Haag said residents should keep a safe distance from any moose they see.

"The best thing is to just steer clear and give yourself enough distance to run away," he said.

Haag said he receives frequent "moose calls," but the majority of callers are more concerned with the safety of the animal than their own. If asked, Haag will attempt to move the moose and, as a last resort, will tranquilize and relocate the animal.

To help keep moose moving along, Haag urges resident to abstain from feeding the animals. While leaving out food might seem like a humane way to feed the hungry animals, Haag said it could actually be fatal.

Because they are accustomed to eating twigs and brush, moose will not be able to properly digest food as rich as apples or hay and could die in a matter of hours, Haag said.

To report a moose in your neighborhood, call Haag at 265-8521.