Blinking flashlight foils attack on dog

After the family dog scuffled with a mountain lion outside Charlie Allen’s Nederland home Saturday night, he and his family shot video of the big cat, which loitered in the yard for nearly an hour licking a paw after the fight.

“It’s not that huge,” Allen said after he shooed away the cat. “I think it’s like a teenager.”

“Why don’t you go stand next to it for some perspective?” he adds a moment later.

No one took him up on the offer.

Maeby, the 64-pound dog who was attacked, continues to recover from her injuries.

“She’s perky and has been eating her brother’s food,” Allen said. “I think the pain meds helped yesterday, but she was hurting pretty good and trying to sleep standing up.”

Allen said Maeby, who belongs to his son-in-law, Allen Trupp, walked away from the incident with seven puncture wounds, two scratched-up areas, two teeth marks on her head and one deep cut.

“She’s lucky to be alive,” Allen said.

A second video edited for time shows Maeby being let out. Trupp bounds out of the front door, then runs back inside and emerges with a snow shovel. Maeby runs back inside, and Trupp comes crashing into the porch as Allen shines a flashlight. The ordeal lasts about 90 seconds.

Allen said yelling didn’t work, but the blinking flashlight did the trick.