If anyone in the Hyde Park area stumbles upon an unusual cat, it may be wise to refrain from any desires to pet the animal. Harley, a dog, was attacked by a mountain lion cub while on a walk with her owner on Friday evening.

According to a comment from Hyde Park government on its Facebook page, the incident took place near 200 North and 200 East.

North Park Police Lt. Justin Olsen said the interaction is still under investigation by animal control.

“Be mindful,” Olsen said. “Don’t walk your pets if you’re a kid. Don’t let your kid walk your pets by themselves.”

16-year-old Lucy Britsch, Harley’s owner, said she was walking with the dog and her 9-year-old brother Jackson when she noticed an unusual cat approaching.

“I thought it was pretty friendly,” Lucy said. “I gave my dog to my little brother, and I went to go see the cat, and the cat zoomed right past me and went straight for my dog.”

After the cat took a few swipes at Harley, Lucy quickly moved to pick up the dog. Only then did she realize there was something strange about the cat — it was nearly the size of Harley, a mix primarily between a boxer bulldog and Jack Russell terrier.

Brittany, Lucy’s mom, described the dog as having a medium build.

“I told my little brother to go run ahead,” Lucy said, continuing to recall the situation. “We kept walking and I tried to scare it off a little bit, and I guess that worked.”

Lucy estimated the mountain lion followed the small group for four or five minutes before finally leaving.

Lucy, Jackson, and Harley returned home after the incident. Despite the cougar’s aggressive introduction, Harley is doing well and did not require veterinary attention.

“She’s very well trained and just a sweet dog,” Brittany said. “I think her response was more, ‘Why are you doing this to me?’”

After the kids relayed the story to their parents, Brittany and her husband, James, looked up mountain lion sounds on YouTube. Lucy and Jackson confirmed the sounds were those of Harley’s hairy aggressor.

Though everyone is OK, the family is still somewhat startled by the incident. They’ve closed their dog door; Lucy and Jackson haven’t taken Harley for any more walks in the area where the surprise meeting occurred; they avoid similar activities around 8:30 p.m., the time of the encounter; and they make sure their dog and cat are inside each night.

“In the moment, I was thinking, ‘Do I save my dog or my little brother,’” Lucy said. “It was hard, and it put me in a weird situation. And ultimately, my dog got hurt and my brother didn’t.”

An article titled “Tips to keep you safe if you encounter a cougar in Utah,” was published on Utah Division of Wildlife Resources’ website in May and lists several things one should do when coming face to face with a mountain lion. Among suggestions such as looking the animal in the eye and not quickly fleeing the area, the article instructs people to confidently speak at a high volume while they retreat and fight back if they are attacked.

The article also says a mountain lion is likely to leave someone alone if the person exhibits enough aggression.

The same tips can be found on the Wild Aware Utah website, a page recommended by DWR Northern Region Conservation Outreach Manager Mark Hadley. The site tells people how to avoid cougars and other wild animals, as well as what to do if they encounter them.

According to the website, Wild Aware Utah is a collaboration project from the Hogle Zoo, DWR, and Utah State University Extension.

“Mountain lions can turn up almost any time of the year,” Hadley said, talking about mountain lions wandering close to foothills. “It’s not all that unusual to have a cougar come into one of these types of areas.”