Bobcat attacks Frisco family's dog in backyard, leaves pet badly wounded

A Frisco family says a routine backyard moment turned into a terrifying wildlife attack when a bobcat mauled their 6-pound Yorkshire terrier, Ariel, behind a home off Rock Creek Parkway.

Claudia Asberry said the attack happened on Easter Sunday, April 20, 2026, and was captured on a home surveillance camera. According to the family’s account, Asberry walked toward Ariel and saw the bobcat over the dog. Her son-in-law rushed outside, and the animal dropped Ariel when he jumped the fence. The small dog suffered three deep wounds to her neck and another wound to her stomach, and her injuries required stitches.

Ariel survived, but Asberry said the experience left her traumatized and nervous in a place that should have felt safe. The family also said they believed they saw the same bobcat again just days later, a detail that underscores how quickly a single backyard encounter can turn into an ongoing concern in a neighborhood.

Frisco Animal Services says residents can report coyote and bobcat sightings through an interactive form and map that tracks attacks and aggressive behavior. City officials say that information is used to identify territories, travel patterns and places where unusually aggressive animals have been spotted. If a resident believes an animal is an immediate threat, Frisco says to call 911. Other concerns can go to Frisco dispatch at 972-292-6010.

The city’s wildlife guidance says not to feed wildlife, to feed dogs and cats indoors and to avoid leaving unattended pets outside, especially from dusk to dawn. Frisco’s bobcat fact sheet warns that small pets left outside at night may become prey to bobcats. It also says bobcats are crepuscular, meaning they are most active at dawn and dusk, and that they have become increasingly common in urban areas as native habitat shrinks.

Texas Parks and Wildlife says bobcats are distributed throughout Texas, prefer thickets or rocky cover for protection and den sites, and are active largely at night or before sundown. In fast-growing Frisco, where neighborhoods sit close to creeks, greenbelts and wooded pockets, the line between suburban life and wildlife habitat can disappear in seconds.