A volunteer with Coquitlam Search and Rescue who had his puppy German Shepherd snatched by a cougar this week has had over $11,000 in donations pour in in less than 24 hours.
The owner, Isaac, — born and raised in Anmore and also a volunteer at the Sasamat Fire Department — had driven all the way to Alberta to pick up the young pup, Diez.
Diez had been tapped to train and eventually join Coquitlam Search and Rescue’s K-9 team, but that dream came to an abrupt end only a week after driving out to Alberta to pick up the dog.
The Anmore man was walking Diez at roughly 8 p.m. Thursday when a cougar jumped out of the bush and attacked the dog.
“When he kicked the cougar and tried to fight him off, it turned on him,” said Anmore mayor John McEwen, who is close with the family.
The encounter ended with the cougar dragging the young dog away into the bushes. It hasn’t been seen since.
The , launched Friday, was started to support the Anmore man’s “life long dream of raising a search dog.”
“This absolutely heartbreaking and devastating event is only made worse by the fact that Isaac himself funded the purchase of the beautiful dog for the purpose of servicing our community,” wrote Coquitlam resident and fellow Sasamat firefighter Dave McCloskey in GoFundMe campaign.
“Isaac’s dream of owning, training, and having a search companion needs to come to fruition. Please help as much as you can and let’s show Isaac that as a community, we have his back as he so willingly has ours.”
The campaign notes that all money raised past the $8,000 goal will be donated to the Critter Care Wildlife Society, which rehabilitates orphaned and injured wild animals, including bears, beavers and even once a bobcat.
