PLANTATION, FLA. (WSVN) - A homeowner in Plantation is sounding the alarm after, he said, a pack of coyotes left his dog badly hurt.
Eli Vidal said the attack happened in the Plantation Acres neighborhood at around 3 p.m. on Friday.
Ring camera video captured the moment a pack of coyotes came face-to-face with the family dog, a Belgian Malinois named Saber.
“Two on one side, two on one side, and then you have the fifth coyote in the property, and [that] coyote was circling the coop,” said Vidal.
The 9-month-old puppy suffered some nasty gashes from the encounter.
“I saw Saber bleeding from the face and underneath his eyes,” said Vidal.
The concerned resident said the bloody encounter shocked him.
“[Saber] just took off — not in a normal manner, in an attack manner — toward my chicken coop,” he said.
After a scuffle, the coyotes took off over the fence.
Saber, meanwhile, was taken to the local vet and put on antibiotics.
Vidal said that he and his neighbors have been on high alert, since they have seen coyotes, including pups, roaming the area over the last few weeks.
However, Vidal added, this is the first time he has seen them in a pack hunting, making it even more frightening.
“Those were not pups, they were full-size coyotes, and when you see them concentrated in almost a hunting choreographed act, it’s very uneasy,” said Vidal.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission paid a visit to the neighborhood on Friday to record the sighting.
Vidal said FWC officials provided him with some instructions.
“Common sense, don’t leave food outside, don’t feed the animals. If you have small dogs, small children, don’t leave them unattended,” he said.
Now, he is warning people in the area so no one gets hurt.
“I love my pets like my own family, but what if it was a child or an elderly person, or just a person walking their pet up and down the street?” he said. “A hungry animal will try to get food. They were here first; we just have to adapt and use common sense.”
FWC officials said they have opened an investigation into the attack. They advise anyone who sees coyotes in their area to contact them at 888-404-FWCC (888-404-3922).
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