Predator nabs family pet
Being out in nature includes natural threats. That’s the painful lesson the Torres family learned and want to remind their neighbors about. There are predators that see small animals as a quick meal.
Sarah Torres was out walking the trail behind Stayton Middle School July 15, enjoying the summer day with her German shepherd, French bulldog, and the family’s six-year-old Yorkie, “Baby.” The eight-pound Yorkie loved joining in on hikes and being outdoors with the big dogs, Sarah’s mother, Tammy Torres said. He wore a harness and normally stayed out in front on a walk, where his human companions could keep an eye on him.
In the mid-afternoon on the 15th he fell behind. Sarah heard a yelp. There was motion in the bushes, and Baby was gone. The family notified Stayton Police and Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife was alerted. The family searched for hours with no results. A tracker for ODFW later advised them that while it could have been a cougar, it was just as likely Baby fell victim to a hungry coyote.
“We are heartbroken,” Tammy Torres said. “We share this area with nature’s wild things,”
she added, advising caution for hikers and their four-legged companions. The family has posted warnings near the trailhead.
