According to Reuters, 31-year-old William Gibb of Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, told police that he rescued his dog from one of the fierce felines Monday outside a Tim Hortons restaurant in Whitecourt.
Gibb said the cougar pinned the 80-pound husky, Sasha, while she was out for a walk, Reuters reported.
"I could see something wrapped around her and wasn't sure what it was," Gibb said. "I ran over and punched it in what I thought was the head, and it backed off and I realized it was a cougar."
"He was quite lucky," Whitecourt RCMP Sgt. Tom Kalis told The Guardian, adding that cougars are often seen in the area but rarely attack.
The dog received stitches at a nearby veterinary clinic and was released, according to the CBC. Authorities reportedly killed the cougar.
>> Click here to watch the news report from the CBC