An adult witness, who was not identified in the report, said she was awakened to her dog barking loudly and saw the shadow of an animal push through the partially-opened French doors of her bedroom, grab her dog from its bed and exit the bedroom. When deputies arrived to search the area, they identified large, wet paw prints that resembled a mountain lion at the entrance to the bedroom. A wider search of the area surrounding the home found similar prints.
The dog, a 15-pound Portuguese Podengo breed, was not recovered, according to the sheriff's report. A child that was in the bedroom at the time of the incident was unharmed. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife was notified for further investigation.
The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office warned residents to keep pets indoors, and make sure all doors and windows are securely locked.
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