WESTMINSTER — A family dog was attacked by a coyote in a popular neighborhood in Westminster on Thursday morning. The animal was caught on camera, and residents are concerned with the safety of their pets and small children.
Surveillance video of the driveway near West 98th Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard shows a coyote hanging around the house around 6 A.M. Thursday.
“I had never seen a coyote and I never thought that one would be able to get into our yard,” Annette Dolce said.
Getting into the yard was no problem for the coyote after it jumped over the six-foot fence.
“I just heard these horrible cries from upstairs in the bedroom and that’s when I thought this doesn’t sound normal,” Dolce said.
What she saw after that was terrifying.
“I saw my dog in the coyote’s mouth. It had it up off the ground by the neck. I yelled her name ‘Daisy’ and the coyote dropped her and leaped right over (the fence).”
Daisy has spent two days at the vet. She’s going to be OK, and the family knows it could have been much worse.
“I just never thought it would happen to us here with the fences. All of our neighbors have big fences too and they were just shocked.”
This isn’t the first time an incident like this has happened in Westminster, but the most concerning part of this one is the location. It’s in the middle of a neighborhood, filled with small children.
“If it can pick up a 25-pound dog, it could do a lot of damage to a little kid too.”
Annette said she has already warned some neighbors about the attack, and will no longer let her dogs into the backyard without supervision.
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