A mountain lion has killed another dog in Grand County — this time in downtown Granby off of Main Street.

The attack occurred at about 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, at the home of Teresa Hertel.

Hertel stated in a Facebook post on Sunday, Feb. 5, that her dog Maddie was on the home’s enclosed deck outside with access to a doggy door. When Hertel heard a loud bang on the deck, she went outside immediately to investigate. The dog was gone, but there were “cat like tracks” in the snow, Hertel wrote.

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Colorado Parks and Wildlife was notified on Sunday. Upon investigation, a wildlife officer determined a mountain lion had taken the dog.

“There was a small gate on the porch to prevent the dog from going off the porch and that was the source of the loud noise,” said Rachael Gonzales, public information officer for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. “The wildlife officer did notice tracks.”

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Officers were not sure of the gender of the lion; it could have been a small, younger male or a female.

Gonzales added that there have been frequent sightings in the Grand County area over the past seven days, including in Grand Lake, outside of Tabernash and now Granby. There was also an unconfirmed sighting in February in Kremmling. However, no Kremmling sightings have been called into Colorado Parks and Wildlife since a mountain lion was seen attacking cats in Old Park in January.

“We’ve gotten video confirmation of lions in the area,” Gonzales said, emphasizing that every sighting should be called in immediately.

“If you see a mountain lion, please let us know. The sooner we know about a lion in the area, the sooner we can go out and track … and see behavior,” she said. “If you see a dead carcass in your yard, like a deer, let us know.”

A dead carcass can attract lions to the area. Gonzales added that the best way to keep mountain lions away from pets and property is to stay vigilant and haze lions away when necessary. Lastly, she stated residents should remain extra cautious and follow all of Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s safety recommendations, which are on the agency’s website.

Hertel wrote to Sky-Hi News that she was shocked and devastated to realize that lions were by her home near Main Street.

“I would have protected Maddie so much more if I knew that there were mountain lions in Granby. But there was nothing said, only in Grand Lake and Kremmling,” Hertel wrote. “She was the sweetest dog I have ever known and now she is gone. It is so heartbreaking knowing how she died. We have to know what is going on. Not told after the pet is dead.”

She said many of her fellow pet owners have reported that the recent mountain lion attacks have changed the way they interact with their dogs, including how often they let them outside the home. Many feel helpless.

“We are so scared that the mountain lion could be lingering around our home,” Hertel wrote. “It has changed our lives … it has made us a prisoner in our home. Something has to be done about these attacks to our loved ones.”