Off-leash dog kills rare seal pup resting on Northern California beach, officials say

A 10-month-old Guadalupe fur seal probably sought refuge on a Point Reyes National Seashore beach in Northern California because it was weak and malnourished, experts say, KGO reports.

But an off-leash dog in the North Beach area, where dogs are not allowed because of snowy plover nesting, attacked and killed the pup April 22, KPIX reported.

If not for the attack, the ailing pup might have survived and helped repopulate the species, once listed as endangered, said Dr. Cara Field at The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, KTVU reported.

“When they haul out onto the beach that often implies there’s a health problem and we have seven other Guadalupe fur seals on site, that all stranded in similar condition, with severe malnutrition and all of them are thriving with care,” Field said, according to the station.

A Point Reyes visitor saw the attack and notified the Marine Mammal Center but the pup could not be saved, The San Francisco Chronicle reported. The dog and its owner left the beach, and national park officials are investigating the incident.

Field said the pup died of multiple bite wounds to the chest and lungs, causing severe internal bleeding, KTVU reported.

Guadalupe fur seals are considered a threatened species, with a population of about 34,000, according to the Marine Mammal Center. They were hunted nearly to extinction in the 1800s. The only known breeding colony is on Guadalupe Island off the coast of Mexico.

They spend almost all their time in the open ocean hunting squid and shellfish, so they are rarely seen in Northern California, the center says.

Jennifer Stock, a spokesperson for the park, told The San Francisco Chronicle that other dog owners should take heed when visiting.

“This is an incredible park where there’s a lot of habitat for animals to feed and rest,” Stock said, according to the publication. “A dog off-leash is a real threat to wildlife and habitat.”

Point Reyes National Seashore officials ask that anyone with information about the attack call (415) 464-5100, KPIX reported.

This story was originally published May 1, 2019 at 7:36 AM with the headline "Off-leash dog kills rare seal pup resting on Northern California beach, officials say."