The pet owner said a coyote broke into a screened in patio and attacked the small dogs.
SUN CITY, Ariz — A broken door hinge serves as a gruesome reminder of a coyote attack that killed two small dogs.
The screened-in patio of a Sun City home is where the chihuahuas, Daisy and Stella, roamed safe and sound for years until last Friday when the Hammonds family came home to an unusually quiet house.
“The dogs didn’t greet us and we’re accustomed to that,” Ladeana Hammonds said. “So, we started looking for them.”
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They found the dogs outside with a coyote hovering overhead.
“He looked us in the eye like, ‘I got you,'” Nicole Rendler said.
The family found blood in the screened-in patio, where they said a coyote likely pushed through the door to get the small pets.
“I knew they could scale our fence without a problem. That’s why we never let them out there alone but we never thought they would get into the Arizona room,” Hammonds said.
Hammonds said this isn’t their first interaction with the wild animal.
“There are a lot of coyotes in Sun City,” Hammonds said.
Just three days after the deadly attack, Rendler said she saw a coyote chasing a small dog down her street.
“They’re getting less frightened of people though which is kind of scary,” Rendler said.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department regulates coyotes across the state, but doesn’t relocate or remove the animals unless they are a public safety concern.
A department spokesperson advices people not ignore coyotes if possible, so they don’t lose their fear of humans.
“Make them feel uncomfortable because really that’s what it comes down to, setting those boundaries and not letting them get too comfortable here in our neighborhoods where they then feel they can be more bold,” Arizona Game and Fish Spokesperson Alexandra Flickinger said.
The Hammonds are sharing their story in hopes it could save another pet.
“If it could happen to us. It could happen to you,” Rendler said.
If you see a coyote, Arizona Game and Fish encourages people to try scaring the animal off by making loud noises and waving arms up high.
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