Mountain Lion Invades California Home, Dog Unaware

LA VERNE, Calif. — A family in La Verne is sharing their unexpected encounter with a mountain lion that entered their home on Saturday, August 16. The incident occurred at around 1 p.m. when the feline took advantage of an open front door.

James Tenney was in the kitchen when he noticed the large creature. “Then out of the corner of my eye, I hear and see and feel the large presence,” he recounted. As he turned, he immediately recognized it as a mountain lion.

The big cat quickly darted out through a screen door, jumped into the family’s pool, and popped a pool float during its hasty escape. “As soon as it saw me, it went straight through the screen here, out the back. It was a loud, loud noise, boom! And into the pool and over the fence,” Tenney explained.

While the mountain lion made its way into the backyard, Tenney was primarily concerned about his 13-year-old dog, Bandit, who was sunbathing in the front yard. Surprisingly, Bandit slept through the entire incident, completely unaware of the wild animal nearby. “He was napping right here in the front lawn… never saw the mountain lion,” Tenney said.

In an effort to alert neighbors about the mountain lion in the area, Tenney shared footage of the encounter captured on their Ring camera. The family reached out to local police, but authorities could not assist with wildlife matters. It remains unclear whether the California Department of Fish and Wildlife was notified.

As of this weekend, no additional sightings of the mountain lion have been reported by neighbors. Tenney expressed his concern for the community, emphasizing the need for vigilance since the neighborhood was busy with children’s activities that day. “We wanted to make sure we had that footage and alert the community,” he stated.