According to Bracebridge OPP, the incident occurred around 5 p.m. at Guha’s Lions and Tigers Farm, located off Muskoka Road 4 in Utterson. The jaguar, a six-year-old cat named ‘Bhino,’ reportedly broke through its chain link fence.

Police were immediately dispatched to the scene, where the animal was found with the family dog in its mouth.

Bracebridge OPP Constable Skeeter Kruger said the cat did not leave Guha’s property.

In the interest of public safety, Kruger said officers shot the jaguar. The dog was also shot by police, given the severe injuries it sustained.

Guha’s Lions and Tigers Farm is home to a number of exotic animals including several lions, a couple of cougars and another black panther.

Kruger said police deemed all other cages at the facility to be secure.

The local branch of the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) has been notified and will be conducting a separate investigation, he said.

Speaking Thursday morning, Nanda Guha, owner of Guha’s, related the events of the previous afternoon.

Guha was feeding the large cats on his farm with their typical diet of raw meat, and, as is typical in the winter, was being followed closely by several foxes.

“The bloody foxes are all over,” said Guha, indicated several sets of tracks in the fresh snow. “They follow me to see if I’m going to drop some food. It’s possible something fell out of my bucket…they must have been near his enclosure, and he got upset because they were eating his food.”

The cat then tore through the fence in the corner of his cage, and made towards Guha’s house, which Guha was now inside.

“I heard the dog barking and I came out to see what was going on,” said Guha. “I saw him (Bhino) come around the corner. I was very surprised.”

Guha said he immediately called the police, and began contacting others to see if he could locate a gun or a taser. Guha said he wanted to make sure the cat didn’t make a break from his 93-acre property, and watched Bhino until the O.P.P. arrived.

The dog, an Australian shepherd named Blue, and the jaguar were at first “playful” with each other, according to Guha. However, when the police arrived the dog began barking and Bhino set upon him, grabbing him by the throat.

“I told the police to put him down. They hesitated and said it would be a shame to see such a wonderful animal (Bhino) put down…we had no choice,” said Guha. Given the grievous nature of the dog’s injuries, he was also put down by the O.P.P.

Guha maintains that the remainder of his exotic cats are secure in their cages, and said he has no plans to change the security precautions he now has in place.

Asked if he was worried about outside agencies stepping in to close or place restrictions on his facility, Guha said he has no comment.