Rottweiler Fights with Coyote - MA

[Rene Allegrini]

Boy this really angers me. If you knew there were reports of coyotes in the neighborhood and that animals had been killed or were missing, WHY would you TIE your 10 year old dog outside at 3 a.m. in the morning? That poor dog. I cannot imagine the horror she felt fighting for her life.


Dog dies after fight with coyote; Rottweiler battles in Weymouth yard

Dog dies after fight with coyote; Rottweiler battles in Weymouth yard
By The Patriot Ledger

WEYMOUTH - A North Weymouth man was forced to have his Rottweiler euthanized after a coyote attack.

Ralph Farina said he had left Daisy on a rope in the backyard of his 45 Saunders St. home at about 3 a.m Sunday.

About five minutes later, he found the 98-pound dog fighting for her life with a coyote that was a little larger than a border collie.

‘‘They were tussling, all wrapped up in the rope and tangled with the lawn chairs,’’ Farina said.

Pulling on the rope did not separate the animals. He used a mop handle but that didn’t work.

Farina went and got a kitchen knife and a flashlight.

‘‘When I flashed the light he (the coyote) looked at me, and my dog pushed him off,’’ Saunders said.

Fearing for his own safety, he retreated to the house and woke his wife. He returned to the yard to find Daisy alone.

‘‘Basically she seemed to be in a seizure of a state of shock,’’ Farina said.

Daisy had no visible wounds, but she was covered with saliva, he said.

A veterinarian told Farina the 10-year-old dog may have suffered internal injuries.

There had been coyote sightings in the neighborhood and one neighbor thought there was a pack living around the nearby power plant, Farina said.

A neighbor saw a coyote at Saunders and Evans streets, and on a recent night another neighbor heard what sounded like a cat fight.

The next day a cat’s paw was found on a beach, Farina said.

Farina said he has cautioned his daughters, ages 10 and 12, about going outside alone after dark.

Wildlife experts say coyotes usually prey on smaller animals and are not usually a threat to people. Two attacks have been reported in Massachusetts over the past 10 years, one on a 3-year-old boy in Sandwich in 1998 and the other a security guard in Mashpee in 2005.

Copyright 2007 The Patriot Ledger
Transmitted Tuesday, May 15, 2007

[hokisteph5]

I'm right there with you Rene! I'm also ticked at the veterinarian saying she "may have suffered internal injuries." Did he not examine her?

[RottieGirl86]

What an idiot! If they had coyotes in the are why leave his dog chained outside! I want to chain him to a tree and see how he likes it!

[Troodie's Mom]

I read several articles on that, one of them said that " Daisy collapsed because of a heart attack." Poor thing.
This freaked me right out, because we have coyotes around here.

[1rohttor]

Why would anyone tie the dog they loved to a tree at 3am, or any time of the day or night. At 3am my Thor is at my side in the bed or on the floor beside my bed.

[1rohttor]

What a way to die tied to a tree

[marianna]

poor baby

[Cdn1050]

What a stupid dog owner, that's a horrible thing to do to a pet. In my neighbourhood there are a pack of 7 coyotes and I don't underestimate them. The month of May is their mating time, which means more, which means the wildlife rescue in my area is now going to have to step up and do something when people call to complain. I've had to re-arrange the times and routes for walks for my little girl. She is never allowed in the backyard (fenced in) by herself, she was never allowed in the first place (my rule). Though wildlife experts say that coyotes usually prey on smaller animals and are not a threat to people. They are smart, some can be pretty nervy as far as going after people and bigger dogs. The one I saw in my neighbour's backyard a few months ago, I honestly think was trying to lead their GSD into the wooded area where the rest of the pack was waiting.

[AlphaLeader]

Originally Posted by Cdn1050

They are smart, some can be pretty nervy as far as going after people and bigger dogs. The one I saw in my neighbour's backyard a few months ago, I honestly think was trying to lead their GSD into the wooded area where the rest of the pack was waiting.

I have heard people talking about that's what they do.

And yes, people are stupid. I've talked about my mothers now ex husband that has lost three... THREE... setters to coyotes in colorado and he still ties them out at night.

[Troodie's Mom]

Originally Posted by AlphaLeader

I have heard people talking about that's what they do.

And yes, people are stupid. I've talked about my mothers now ex husband that has lost three... THREE... setters to coyotes in colorado and he still ties them out at night.

My brother lost two cats- in Waltham which is a city!

[Llcouttien]

What you are saying about leading dogs into the story is very true. I have actually talked to many owners who lost their dogs, both big and small to Coyotes. They send out their females who are in heat at the time to attract the male dogs. The dog ends up following the coyote female into the woods, and in my area, over a hill where the rest of the pack is waiting to kill the dog. To have your dog outside, with coyotes, or any large animal, I have mountain lions, is just stupid. On one hand I got to be mad at the guy, but on the other, I dont think he did this knowing that his dog would be attacked. Tough way to learn. And as for that vet, I hope that they did a full exam or they are just lucky they weren't named in this report.

[Steelerfan]

This guy is a fool and a coward. That poor dog should of been inside. And anyone who would run from a coyote while it was killing his dog is useless.

But let's keep some perspective and cut coyotes some slack, it could of easily been another dog. I don't see many coyote attack posts here, but plenty that involve other dogs attacking.

[salemsmom]

I live in Weymouth also and I have seen many coyotes in the area..They are building so many new complexes that the coyotes have no place to go..All of the other wildlife is disappearing and it's forcing the coyotes to go to people's yards looking for food....But, why would this idiot run away from the coyote and leave Daisy outside?? Make noise, throw things , anything to try to help the dog..I don't have anything nice to say so I'll stop now..My Rotts are in by 8 pm most nights (my yard has an 8 ft high fence) , and if they have to go pee in the night, I go out with them with the spotlights on. Poor Daisy, what a way to go...Rest well!!

[fostermom]

I feel so badly for this poor dog. Being tied up, she didn't stand much of a chance. I lived for a year out in the boondocks of upstate NY...you could hear the coyotes yipping all along the ridgelines, even during the day...I refused to take walks for fear of them coming after me. At the time we had an English setter and a golden and was SOOOOO worried about leaving them out briefly at night to potty. Fortunately, there weren't any close encounters.
Now I live in town and have noticed lately the bowl of cat food I leave out on the step for any stray cats that might happen by has been empty every morning...not so much as a crumb left, even when I heap up the bowl with food. I'm a bit concerned it might be coyotes as last year they shot several living in the cemetary a couple of blocks away. I absolutely don't want to encourage them to hang around my house but also don't want to leave any starving kitties high and dry by removing the bowl either.
If coyotes do go after a pet, does anyone know of a good way to scare them off???

[Steelerfan]

I've got three indoor cats, and I love them like crazy. But once you put a cat outside it's part of the ecosystem. Cats eat millions of native birds every year.

I can sympathize with your desire to help the strays. But it could be raccoons or skunks that are eating the food. I used to have a neighbor that did the same thing when I lived in town. She trained every neighborhood skunk to explore porches for food, not a good scenario for dog owners. Maybe try putting the food in an empty lot.

A coyote will almost always run at the sight of a human. Personnally I'd shoot one that didn't back down, although I'd hate to have to do that.