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Adam Wilson expounds on Washington state government, workers and politics. Wilson began covering those issues for the Olympian in 2004. He can be reached at: awilson@theolympian.com.
Jack, uncle to Trooper, killed by bobcat
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Sen. Cheryl Pflug, R-Maple Valley, was understandably alarmed and upset when her 1-year-old dog Jack was killed Friday.
Pflug suspected a cougar had crossed paths with Jack, but the culprit was ruled a bobcat by the Department of Fish and Wildlife. Didn’t know this, personally, but the agency has a cougar awareness program headed by Rocky Spencer, who used a Karelian bear dog to help identify the carnivore in question as a bobcat.
Another instance of the small world of politics, Jack was a shiba inu, and uncle to Gov. Chris Gregoire’s dog Trooper. There’s a Trooper photo here.
Pflug sent out two press releases on the incident, and drew this lesson:
I am relieved to know it was a bobcat, which poses much less risk to humans – although obviously still a danger to household pets. Wildlife corridors to support the movement of animals from one habitat to another are important in land use planning. That’s as it should be, because our natural heritage is one of the things that draws us to the Pacific Northwest, and it must be protected. But, it’s easy to forget that ‘wildlife’ encompasses more than deer and elk and bunnies. You also get the predators, and we must be aware of the risks – and willing to take the practical steps necessary to protect pets and children and the wild animals themselves.
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