Edmonton, Canada: Barbara Boake, an Edmonton Balwin homeowner, walked her nine-year-old Shih Tzu cross, Cocoa, outside on Monday, unaware of the danger lying close.
“Cocoa needed to use the restroom, so I accompanied her. First, we were sitting out here, and then I wanted to go inside for a second, so I assumed she was OK since she never leaves the yard,” Boake stated.
She said she was just in the home for a few minutes, but when she returned, Cocoa had vanished. So she went out seeking her but had no luck.
A neighbor discovered the little puppy in a yard across the street.
Boake and a neighbor brought Cocoa to the emergency vet after frantically trying to clean her up. The outlook was bleak. Cocoa’s wounds were severe. “She was all eaten up by the neck, and I assume she had a broken back.” “I know she had a shoulder injury,” Boake explained.
Boake had to let Cocoa go in the end.
A Coyote Specialist named Colleen Cassady St. Clair, who is also a professor of biological sciences at the University of Alberta, said,
“I am really saddened to learn about this pet assault and sympathize with the owner. St. Clair said, “That must have been a horrible thing to find. While coyotes may perceive large dogs as competition, she claims that tiny dogs can rapidly become prey. Fatal dog attacks like this one are rare, but they are more prevalent than they used to be.”
Several have been recorded in the last year, and people are reporting increasing aggressive behavior by coyotes in general. As a result, pet owners around the area should start considering safeguarding their animals by erecting a tall, strong fence around their yard.
St. Clair added, “More importantly, do not leave your unattended pet outside of the fence, even for a few minutes. Coyotes may be quite opportunistic, and they frequently observe us while we are unaware.”