A French Bulldog who was playing in the woods while on a camping trip may have been bitten by a bobcat.
Every year the dog's owner, Lisa Smith, takes her five dogs out on a camping trip on a friend's property in Mecosta County.
"I can always just let them run," Smith said.
This year, Smith said the dogs kept disappearing. She now believes they may have been chasing down a bobcat.
Smith didn't locate the bite marks until she gave Barbie a bath when they returned to their Byron Center home.
"I toweled her and I must've activated everything because they started bleeding and oozing, and that's when I saw the pattern and made the vet appointment," Smith said.
Smith said she began googling the unique pattern of the bite marks, knowing it wasn't from another dog. Smith's vet, Dr. Gene Gavin, said he could not be certain what caused the bite, but the bite marks were similar to that of a large cat.
Pete Kailing, a biologist with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, said there is a growing population of bobcats in Mecosta County. However, Kailing said bobcats do not frequent urban areas and do not typically attack humans or animals equal or bigger in size.
The DNR recommends that pet owners keep their pets in their line of sight or on a leash if they are concerned.
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