Photo: Maxime Riendeau / 500px Prime / Getty Images
(Bay Village) - Bay Village police are warning people after a resident's dog was mauled and killed by a pack of coyotes recently. This all happened when a woman let her two dogs out in her fenced-in yard and while one came right back inside, the other one, a 13-pound chihuahua, stayed out a little longer. When the owner went to check on the chihuahua a minute later, she saw a pack of five coyotes attacking her dog.
Bay Village Police lieutenant Mark Palmer says this kind of attack is uncommon.
"I've never encountered this," he said. "I've been working in law enforcement for 23 years and this is the first time that something like this has happened in the cities I've worked in."
Palmer says there are some things you can do to protect your pets and property, even though coyotes are capable getting over fenced areas.
"We're asking people, if you keep animal food outside, bring it in," he said. "If you've been grilling or having outdoor events, make sure you bring that food in before the evening hours."
Palmer says its particularly important to take precautions around dusk and during the evening when most coyote-related incidents happen. The Bay Village Police Department is also asking local residents to keep an eye on their pets while they are outside. They want to remind the public that coyote attacks against people are very rare in the Eastern United States.
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