Lone wolf kills off-leash dog in Duluth park
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A lone wolf killed a dog Tuesday in a popular Duluth city park on the shore of Lake Superior.
Terry Irvin was walking Leo, his 11-year-old golden retriever-corgi mix, on a wooded trail near Brighton Beach on the far northeast end of Duluth. Irvin has been hiking the trail for nine years.
About 15 minutes after Leo didn't respond to his whistles and calls, Irvin found his remains in the woods.
"He was pretty mangled, it looked like the wolf had started to eat him, then I must have scared him off," Irvin said.
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He never saw the wolf, but a DNR conservation officer later determined it was a wolf kill.
Irvin blames himself for not having his dog on a leash.
"It was my fault, it was my responsibility to keep that little dog safe, and I didn't do it," Irvin said. "And he paid with his life, and I'm paying with a big hole in my heart."
Officials say there has been an increase in the number of wolf attacks on dogs near Duluth as the animals hunt for deer and other prey.
