SUMMIT COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — A dog died after being trampled by a moose it encountered on a trail in Frisco on Saturday.
According to the Summit County Rescue Group, Arlo got ahead of his owners on the Masontown Trail and encountered three moose. When Arlo tried to go back to his owners, one of the moose trampled him.
The rescue team said Arlo was breathing and unresponsive when they reached him. The team got him off the trail and the dog’s owners took him to the animal hospital where he later died.
The dog’s owners call it a “freak occurrence” and say they’re devastated by what happened.
The circumstances of the canine’s death are tragic and unfortunate, which is why Colorado Parks and Wildlife reminds nature explorers to be aware of their surroundings and informed on what to do in a moose encounter.
Anna Debattiste with SCRG said they’re sharing the story to make sure others are aware of the dangers wild animals can pose to pets and humans.
“So many of us hike with our dogs. All of us on the team hike with our dogs. We know that moose can be dangerous but something like this really brings it home and makes people pay attention to keeping themselves and their dogs safe,” Debattiste said.
She said it’s a good idea to keep your dog on a leash and keep them close, but said they’ve heard of incidents involving moose approaching dogs on a leash as well.
“You just can’t be too careful around a moose,” Debattiste said.
This is the third dog rescue they’ve responded to so far this year.
“Our primary purpose is to rescue humans. Having said that, we’re all dog lovers and we want to help. We also know that in many cases if we leave a person to try to get the dog out of the backcountry themselves, that may lead to an injured person that now we have to go rescue. We always try to help when we can,” Debattiste said.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife explain why dogs can pose as a threat to moose, sparking an attack.
“When it comes to defending their young, cow moose will protect their calves very aggressively, especially in the presence of dogs. Moose react to dogs as they would to wolves – one of their primary predators. Moose will often attack even the most gentle dog as if it were a wolf.”