At least five coyotes circled a stray dog in a residential neighborhood in Orange County earlier this month, but the pup managed to survive the 45-minute attack.
The dog fought off the coyotes in the driveway of a Brea home on May 6 in an amazing video.
According to the homeowner, it occurred on Huntley Circle close to the 57 freeway at approximately 5:40 a.m.
In the video, a young Labrador/German shepherd mix who was wandering the neighborhood uncollared is surrounded and attacked by multiple coyotes. Since the dog only barked a few times, the homeowners were not aware of the conflict taking place in their driveway until it was done.
“I pounded on [the window] as my garage door opened. About five or six coyotes appeared from different directions and headed up our hill,” Steve Shatynski wrote in an email. “The puppy headed up the hill amongst the group.”
In the hopes that someone would identify the dog and take it home, Shatynski shared the footage on Nextdoor. According to Shatynski, the dog was later spotted exploring the area for two more days and even made a comeback to his house.
After a fruitless attempt to tame the dog, Shatynski called the Brea police for assistance. After they made arrangements with Orange County Animal Care, a private trapper eventually came to pick up the dog and take it to a nearby shelter.
According to Shatynski, the dog’s listing was taken down from the OC Animal Care website after he saw it. He is formally up for adoption as of Wednesday night, when the listing was reinstated.
The dog appeared to be unharmed by the incident, as far as Shatynski could determine. The dog is seen in the video defending itself, driving the coyotes away, and pulling back when needed to prevent mauling.
Since coyotes are always prevalent in the region, pet owners are advised to exercise caution in light of the attack. Residents cannot always rely on their pets to warn them of dangers, according to Shatynski, who said the dog had only barked once or twice prior to the attack and no other noises were heard.
Animal control officials warn homeowners not to leave pets outside unattended, especially overnight or around dawn when coyotes are most active, as coyote sightings are becoming more common around the region. In order to discourage wildlife, residents are also urged to utilize motion-activated lights and remove food sources like pet food and fallen fruit.
To keep areas safe, authorities are still urging residents to share information and report sightings.
