Stamford Coyote Incident

Owner blames coyote for attack on her dog
By Donna Porstner Staff Writer 04/08/2008
STAMFORD - Rascal, a 13-year-old Lhasa Apso, is clinging to life after his owner said it was attacked by a coyote Sunday morning in her North Stamford back yard.

Lynne Stone, who lives on South Lake Drive near the New York border, said Rascal was in the back yard, which has an electric fence, for about 10 minutes early Sunday when she heard an unusual sound. She looked outside but didn't see anything. It was about 5 a.m. and still dark, so she took a flashlight but still couldn't find the 18-pound pooch.

Hours later, Stone and her husband, Ted, found Rascal unresponsive and barely breathing with puncture wounds in his neck next a lake behind their home. They rushed him to a Norwalk 24-hour emergency animal care center.

"He's basically in the equivalent of doggy ICU," she said. "He's hooked up to a little intravenous."

From the bite marks on his neck, the Stones presume a coyote carried him away.

Though the doctor said the dog's prognosis is good, it is not known whether Rascal can survive without costly round-the-clock medical care.

Rascal's sister Squirmy, who went inside minutes before the attack, was unharmed.

Though coyotes in residential areas generally pose no threat to humans, they often prey on small dogs and cats.

The state Department of Environmental Protection recommends owners supervise their pets while outdoors or keep them fenced in to protect them - particularly this time of year, when wild animals are looking for food for their
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young.

"Most animals are wary of people, and will stay away if someone is there," DEP spokesman Dennis Schain said.

The DEP warns pet owners not to leave food or trash outside, including pet food, table scraps in compost piles, food scraps on barbecue grills, and fruit that has fallen from trees, because it can attract coyotes.

Though older, smaller dogs in yards with electric fences can be taken by coyotes, Stamford Animal Control Officer Laurie Hollywood said there is no way of knowing what kind of animal attacked Rascal.

"If it's puncture wounds obviously another animal did it, but to say what animal did it would be guessing," she said. "Hopefully, it was an isolated incident. It could be the neighbor's chocolate Lab. You just don't know."

Pets in Stamford have gone missing in recent years, but there have been no reported incidents of coyotes killing or wounding pets, Hollywood said.

"We get sighting calls at all the time, but we haven't had anyone actually report a coyote taking their animal in probably a couple of years," she said.

It's rare for coyotes to leave their prey alive, she said.

Since coyotes and other animals pose a threat, Hollywood recommends owners with dogs under 15 pounds keep them supervised and leashed while outdoors.

"Everybody likes these little teacup dogs these days - that's something you need to stay there and protect - they can't really protect themselves," she said.

Coyotes are particularly dangerous because they often stake out their prey for two weeks and learn its routine so it knows when to attack, she said.

"They know which houses have animals because of the urine scent in the yard," Hollywood said. "They know which animals are weaker and which ones to target."

If dogs and cats must be left alone a 6-foot fence is the best way to protect them, she said. Electric fences do not prevent other animals from entering the yard, she said.

Stone plans to leaflet her neighborhood to warn other pet owners.

"We knew there were coyotes in the area. I should have been more vigilant," she said. "Sometimes small dogs make good breakfast treats."