Coyote stalks, attacks dog being walked

Cindi Cavalier's morning walk with her dog, Maxi, turned into a frightening scramble to save her pet's life after it was attacked by a coyote near Patty Jewett Golf Course on Monday.

The dog is expected to fully recover from a bite to its ear, but wildlife officials say the incident should serve as a reminder that it's important to keep an eye - and a leash - on one's pets and to never feed wild animals because it encourages aggressive behavior.

Division of Wildlife officers intend to destroy the coyote, if they catch it, because it was so aggressive.

Coyotes are usually wary of people and easily scared off, said Michael Seraphin of the Division of Wildlife. But in Monday's incident, the coyote tried to snatch Maxi, a poodle mix with a black eye and spots, right off her leash, Cavalier said.

"She screamed and I grabbed her," Cavalier said, describing how Maxi let out a yelp as the coyote bit it on the ear.

But this wasn't a fleeting nip and run. The coyote was determined to get Maxi and didn't give up when Cavalier scooped up her 11-pound dog and started yelling.

"It was like Cujo coming after me," Cavalier said. "He started stalking us. I screamed. ‘Help! Help!' But he kept following. It was scary stuff. I can't stop shaking, thinking about it."

Cavalier said she resisted the urge to run frantically for her home near the golf course.

She didn't want to trigger the animal's attack reflex.

Instead, she kept hollering and moved sideways toward her home, never taking her eyes off the coyote, which she described as the size of a German shepherd.

Finally, a neighbor heard her screams and came running out his front door.

"I yelled ‘Get your gun - he's going to kill us!' and he picked up a rock or a stick and threw it," Cavalier said.

Distracted, the coyote gave up its pursuit and disappeared down an alley.

That's where neighbor Fred Matthiesen encountered the wild animal.

"I was getting ready to take my dog, Sophie, for a walk and had let her out on the porch," Matthiesen said. "She started barking. I saw a coyote in the trash. Then it was coming down the alley. So I grabbed my trusty nine-iron."

Turns out he didn't need it. A third dog saw the coyote, broke free from its owner and chased the coyote away before Matthiesen could respond.

It wasn't long before the Division of Wildlife officers arrived and determined the coyote needed to be hunted and destroyed because it posed a threat beyond typical wild animal behavior. Lucky for the coyote, officers didn't see it. And before long there were too many golfers on the course for a safe hunt, anyway, Seraphin said.

"It sounds like the coyote growled a bit and did a stare-down," Seraphin said. "If they had found it, they would have tried to destroy it due to its aggressive behavior."
Seraphin said officials doubt the animal was rabid or sick, but probably had become habituated to humans because it had been fed by neighbors or golfers at Patty Jewett.

"That's likely a factor in this case," he said. "We've asked the golf course staff to post signs asking people not to feed the foxes. It's an illegal activity. But people will throw them food out on the golf course. It's a problem."

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Contact the writer: 636-0193 or bill.vogrin@gazette.com