NEWTON, MA (WSVN) – Residents in one Massachusetts town are on edge, concerned and fearful for their pets after a large coyote was spotted over the weekend roaming the city streets with a cat in its mouth.
Several coyotes have been spotted near a playground in Newtown, with the most recent sighting coming on Saturday.
One resident said she was stunned when she caught a glimpse of the coyote strolling about, holding the cat firmly in its jaws.
“I was stunned because he was so big and bulky. He was much bigger than any coyote I had ever seen,” Joyce Hynds said.
Hynds said the coyote was larger than her 80-pound black labs.
“He was very blatant,” Hynds said of the animal. “He was very proud of what he had.”
Joanna O’Malley, a fellow resident, said her $1,500 cat accidentally got outside and has been missing for three weeks. She thinks a coyote attacked the cat.
Dozens of sightings have been reported in recent weeks, according to a coyote tracker on the city’s website.
Coyotes cannot be euthanized unless they’re posing an imminent threat, according to state law.
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