Man Fights Off Raccoon, Not Mountain Lion

FAIRFIELD, Calif. -- It must have been a big raccoon that attacked a Fairfield, Calif., man's dog. So big he thought it was a mountain lion.

Marquel Dawson, 19, said he was playing with the pit bull and German shepherd mix in a nature area at about 1:30 p.m. Wednesday when the animal attacked, Sacramento TV station KCRA reported.

"It was about the size of German shepherd police dog -- like big -- about twice the size of my dog," Dawson said.

He said he ran home, got a sword and fought the animal off.

A veterinarian said the dog suffered minor injuries considering the circumstances.

Although City Animal Control officers told KCRA they believe it was a mountain lion that attacked the dog, the Department of Fish and Game determined otherwise.

Pat Foy, a department spokesman, said a trapper determined the especially large tracks belonged to a raccoon.

The trapper also looked at the wounds and found they were consistent with a raccoon attack, Foy said.