A coyote attack in Metro Detroit has prompted police in the area to warn residents of the dangers of coyotes.
A 16-year-old Jack Russell Terrier died this week after being attacked by coyotes in Canton, Michigan, just outside the city.
The dog was able to escape but was so badly injured that he later died, reported WXYZ.
The terrier’s owners are urging other people in the area that an attack can happen in an instant. They told the broadcaster that they let the dog outside and alone for just a few moments when the fatal attack occurred.
“I went to check on him after less than a minute, probably, and he was gone,” Gail Lewis, the owner of the Terrier, told Click on Detroit.
“Even if your dog is out for a second, go with your dog.”
With snow on the ground, coyotes target dogs and other pets as food sources, officials said.
The Department of Natural Resources recommends people remove food sources such as trash bins and pet food and barring areas such as gardens.
People can also make lots of noise to force coyotes to look elsewhere for a meal.
“Yelling, clapping and chasing off a coyote will let it know that it is not welcome in a person’s territory and help it retain its natural fear of humans,” said Hannah Schauer, a Michigan Department of Natural Resources wildlife technician, in a statement.
“A coyote is not going to want to hang around an area where food is hard to find and people are always threatening it.”
Hometown Life notes another attack took place in Canton in 2016.
A man’s pet dog, a bichon frise, was killed when a coyote attacked it in a backyard that wasn’t fenced in.
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