Warning: Some viewers may find the details and photos in this story to be disturbing.
A San Jose couple said six coyotes came into their fenced backyard and attacked their small dog in a near fatal encounter. Marianne Favro reports.
A San Jose couple said six coyotes came into their fenced backyard and attacked their small dog.
Anne and Masa Hayashi, Yuki’s owners, said the coyotes got into their yard through a eight inch gap under the fence. They have put up a wire to prevent it from happening again.
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Yuki, a 15-pound Bichon Frisé, lost his eye and nearly his life. Anne Hayashi told NBC Bay Area that she found him in the yard on New Year’s Day.
“Shock. He was in terrible shape,” she said.
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Surveillance video caught the six coyotes heading toward the Hayashis' back porch before the attack.
Masa Hayashi told NBC Bay Area Wednesday that he’s seen one or two coyotes in the past, but never this many.
“Six coyotes. They can attack small dogs, big dogs and what’s even more scary they can attack children and that would be a sad scenario,” he said.
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The couple printed up flyers in the neighborhood and Anne has been canvassing the neighborhood near Almaden Valley Country Club. That’s when she learned of another recent coyote attack.
“I heard a dog was attacked, but not as bad as Yuki,” said Anne Hayashi.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife said it’s not unusual for coyotes to attack pets.
“As coyotes spend time in neighborhoods, they become bolder and more comfortable with people. And they become more aggressive. We’ve seen them take pets, small dogs, and quite often, it’s avoidable and preventable. But it takes a neighborhood effort,” said Peter Tira with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Tira added that neighbors can encourage coyotes to stay away by throwing rocks and making loud noises, keeping all food indoors, sealing garbage and eliminating rat infestations.
Masa Hayashi is putting up a motion sensor light to distract the coyotes.
The Hayashis said they’ve had Yuki since he was a puppy and are grateful their 11-year-old furry friend survived. Now, they want to make sure no other pets become the coyotes’ next target.
“Everyone thinks if your pets are behind the fence that they’re safe. They’re not,” said Anne Hayashi.
Wildlife experts said they typically don’t relocate coyotes to other areas because that just brings the problem to other regions and often the coyotes will just return to the same area.
