Tragic story out of Summit County where a family was hiking with their dog named Arlo when he went ahead of the group and three moose got between them. The dog died after being trampled by one of the moose.
9NEWS reports Arlo was still breathing but was unresponsive when rescuers arrived. They got him out of the field and his owners took him to an animal hospital. He died later that day.
Jason Clay of Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) wants to remind dog owner of the dangers moose present in the backcountry:
“If a dog is off leash and goes and finds a moose, that moose is likely going to charge at your dog, your dog’s going to run back to you, and you’ll have an angry moose in tow. A lot of our moose attacks across Colorado do involve dogs.”
If you’re going into areas with a lot of wildlife activity, it might be best to leave your dog at home. RIP Arlo.
Summit County Rescue Statement:
Yesterday a dog named Arlo was hiking on the Masontown trail in Frisco with his family and found himself ahead of his owners with three moose on the trail between them. He tried to go back to his people and one of the moose trampled him.
Arlo was still breathing but unresponsive when we arrived. We got him out of the field quickly and his owners took him to an animal hospital. Sadly, later that evening we got word that Arlo had passed away.
We are not interested in judgmental comments about what Arlo’s family did, didn’t do or should have done. We simply want to remind people how dangerous moose encounters can be, both to dogs and to people. Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s website says, “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.” You can find more information about moose safety on CPW’s website HERE.
RIP Arlo, and our condolences to his family.