On December 26th, 2016 at about 6:30 p.m., Whitecourt RCMP responded to a cougar attack near a restaurant within the municipality near Elko drive. 

A 31 year-old resident of Red Deer was walking his dog near a wooded area and the dog was attacked by a cougar. 

William Gibb says the big cat attacked when he stopped for coffee in Whitecourt and let his two dogs loose for a bathroom break.

After hearing one of the dogs cry out in pain, he found the cougar on top of it and managed to scare it off with a punch.

He took the dog to the vet, where it was treated for its injuries. Police consulted Whitecourt Fish and Wildlife and destroyed the cougar. The dog required medical attention but the adult male was not seriously injured.

(Canadian Press)