Watch pets around wildlife as attacks rise in summer

In this June 2015 photo, Skip, a 90-pound Shar Pei and Labrador retriever mix, waits for doctors at the DoveLewis Emergency Animal Hospital in Portland, Ore., to patch him up after he tangled with a squirrel while walking with his owner. The squirrel died in the duel. Skip is lucky to still have his left eye and will probably have a scar for life down that side of his face. Pets and wild animals cross paths during the summer more than any other time of year. Hiking, biking and camping take pets to the mountains, deserts and oceans, while fires, drought and loss of habitat drive hungry wildlife into pets neighborhoods. (Karen Vitt/DoveLewis Emergency Animal Hospital via AP) In this June 2015 photo, Skip, a 90-pound Shar Pei and Labrador retriever mix, waits for doctors at the DoveLewis Emergency Animal Hospital in Portland, Ore., to patch him up after he tangled with a squirrel while walking with his owner. The squirrel died in the duel. Skip is lucky to still have his left eye and will probably have a scar for life down that side of his face. Pets and wild animals cross paths during the summer more than any other time of year. Hiking, biking and camping take pets to the mountains, deserts and oceans, while fires, drought and loss of habitat drive hungry wildlife into pets neighborhoods. (Karen Vitt/DoveLewis Emergency Animal Hospital via AP)

By Associated Press July 15, 2015 4 min read

LOS ANGELES (AP) – A 1-pound squirrel and 90-pound dog didn’t let their size disparity stop them from dueling.

The rodent died in the recent run-in with Kimberlee Jaynes’ pet Skip, but the Shar Pei and golden Labrador mix got a long scar on his face and was lucky not to lose an eye.

“Skip has a vendetta now,” said Jaynes, of Portland, Oregon. “When he sees them, his ears go up – he’s looking for them.”

Temperatures are rising, and so are wildlife attacks against pets. Dogs and cats encounter wildlife more often in the summer as people and pets spend more time outdoors and drought and forest fires push wild animals outside their usual territory, veterinarians say. Warmer weather brings out hikers and campers when wildlife is likely to be active and aggressive – often protecting their young broods from perceived threats.

In regions suffering from drought, including the Northwest and California, animals from sea lions to bears must search farther for food, sometimes into populated areas. The dry spell also worsens wildfire season, which can leave habitat scarred and meals even harder to find.