DEVASTATING

Mountain Lion Snatches and Kills Chihuahua Out for Walk in Hollywood Hills

Piper, a 9-year-old blue merle-Chihuahua mix, was mauled to death in the split-second attack.

A dog walker out for a stroll in the Hollywood Hills with a blue merle-Chihuahua mix got the shock of his life when a mountain lion crept up and snatched the dog before mauling it to death. The incident happened late Friday, when the the collared lion walked along the road, jumping out at 9-year-old Piper and her dog walker and snatching the dog. “It was like a two- or three-second struggle,” the dog walker told KTLA-TV. “He had Piper in his mouth. He didn’t growl at all. I didn’t even hear him. I never had a chance.” Piper’s owner, Daniel Jimenez, said when he was texted about her death, he thought it was a joke at first. He told KTLA he and his wife are devastated at the loss. The lion is believed to be P-22, an 11-year-old who has lived in the Griffith Park area for years. He was trapped by biologists in 2012 and collared with a lightweight radio tracker. Biologists said the tragic incident serves as a reminder of the danger mountain lions pose, and how vigilant dog walkers should be to ensure their dogs don’t suffer the same fate as Piper.