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Coyotes break door glass trying to chase puppy into Riverside home
A pack of coyotes broke the door of a home as they tried to chase a puppy inside a home in west suburban Riverside on Friday morning. / photo from Riverside police
RIVERSIDE — A pack of coyotes chasing after a puppy broke several panes of glass in the door of a west suburban home Friday as they tried to chase the dog into the house.
Riverside Police Chief Thomas Weitzel said there were three dogs — a beagle, a golden retriever and a German shepherd puppy — in the yard of the home in the first block of South Herbert Road just after 1 a.m. The homeowner heard a commotion outside, looked outside and saw four coyotes about to attack the puppy, he said.
The man called to his pet and the puppy came running, but so did the coyotes — pursuing the dog up onto the wooden deck of the home, police said. The man quickly let the dog in, but the coyotes followed and began to paw at the rear glass door of the home.
The coyotes were finally scared away when the dog’s owner fired a high-powered BB gun at them, striking two of them, police said. The dogs were unharmed.
When police arrived, the coyotes were gone, but several panes of glass on the outer door were broken and the coyotes also broke glass on the main entry door as they tried to get at the puppy.
Police Sgt. Bill Gutschick said in a statement that in his 25 years on duty, this was the first time he’s heard of coyotes trying to get into a home while chasing a pet.
Riverside has had other recent reports of coyotes attacking pets, Weitzel said, and on Jan. 3, a 7-month-old Bichon-Poo puppy was killed in the 100 block of Addison Road.
Weitzel urged residents to be aware of wild animals in the area.
“Coyotes do not know the difference between pets and the wild creatures they hunt, so try to protect pets by accompanying them outdoors,” he said.
“Use a short leash, as coyotes have been known to attack animals that are on long leashes. Most importantly, use caution near any wild animal.”
