Oklahoma Woman Saves Dog from Coyote with Shovel
OutdoorHub Reporters 07.30.13
When Frances Curtis found a coyote attacking her beloved wiener dog Heinrich last week, she knew she didn’t have enough time to go in her home and retrieve her gun from its safe. It had been a quiet morning for this Mustang, Oklahoma resident, until she heard the cries of her dog.
“I heard this scream out of Heinrich that I had never heard before. I knew there was something wrong, but I didn’t know what,” Curtis told KFOR.
She took a step out her backdoor and found one of her pets engaged in a fight with a coyote. In order to save her dog, Curtis knew she had to act fast.
“Do I go run down the hall; go get the gun in the safe, or do I just go after this thing?” She recalled asking herself.
In the end she grabbed the closest object at hand, which conveniently turned out to be a shovel.
“I hit it like a baseball bat,” Curtis said. “I just ‘wham,’ you know? Hit it twice and it ran off.”
Curtis was able to then transport her dog to a veterinarian, where Heinrich was treated.
It is uncommon for coyotes to be brazen enough to get so close to humans, especially in daylight. Coyotes are generally opportunistic predators with a versatile diet and a reputation for guile. With these attributes, the species adapted better than most to living near humans, although people generally consider them pests. Coyote attacks on humans have been increasing in recent years and experts believe that carelessness may be partly to blame. While often small in size, coyotes are wild animals and should not be approached.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources offers the following tips when you see coyotes in your neighborhood:
- secure all garbage containers, wildlife feeders, and other food sources to prevent coyote access
- confine small dogs and cats in kennels, or supervise them when outside
- vaccinate all pets for rabies, distemper, parvo, and other diseases, as recommended by a veterinarian
- consider installing coyote-proof fencing
- harass (by chasing, shouting, etc.) any coyotes that do not immediately run from people
It may also be prudent to call police or wildlife officials when a coyote is observed exhibiting odd behavior, as it may have rabies.
