Coyote Attacks Family Dog In North Suburban Backya

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Coyote Attacks Family Dog In North Suburban Backyard (VIDEO)

If the attack had occurred in the city the report would have read: "Dog doing fine; 2 KIA and 3 WIA in crossfire from neighbors."

https://patch.com/illinois/evanston/s/gb9by/c...aign=alert

A home security camera recorded the brutal attack.

By Jonah Meadows, Patch Staff | Dec 15, 2017 10:18 am ET | Updated Dec 15, 2017 11:02 am ET

NORTHFIELD, IL — A local dog is expected to make a full recovery after a backyard coyote attack that was caught on tape Wednesday. Boozer, a 14-pound cairn terrier had just stepped outside into the backyard of Vicky and Barnaby Dinges' Northfield home when a coyote came running by.

The coyote, appearing to be taken aback by the much smaller pet, briefly circles around Boozer before biting him on the face and dragging him around the yard.

The attack lasts only about eight seconds and was captured on the couple's home surveillance camera. They told WMAQ-TV they only decided to share the tape because Boozer is making a complete recovery from a series of injuries – including a sizable gash on his face that needed to be stapled closed.

"You look at that video and he is flatfooted in his backyard and minding his business and a very aggressive coyote came out of nowhere," Barnaby Dinges told the station. He warned other pet-owners to be aware of the danger from coyotes that are getting increasingly comfortable roaming the suburbs.

"[They're] beautiful to look at, but can do tremendous damage in about five seconds," he said.

The chief wildlife biologist for the county's forest preserves, Chris Anchor, told The Chicago Tribune the video appeared to show a "defensive attack." It is reproductive season for the coyote, he said, and it was defending it's territory.

"If the coyote had wanted to kill that small dog, the dog would have been dead within seconds," Anchor told the paper.

Following the attack, the Village of Northfield issued the following safety alert:

As winter begins and food becomes more scarce, coyotes typically become more active. Most coyotes are non-aggressive and are just passing through, but some can be more aggressive and may challenge small dogs or cats.

To help prevent coyote encounters, the Police Department encourages you not to leave small children or pets outside unattended, to store trash in tightly closed containers that cannot tip over, and to install motion-sensitive lighting around your house. Remember, fences do not prevent coyotes from entering yards because they can jump over or dig under them.

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