WOODY CREEK, Colo. (KDVR) — The Houston family, who lives just outside of Aspen, are thankful their 5-year-old dog is still alive after surviving an attack by a pack of coyotes.
“I’ve had Max since he was 8 weeks old and fit in the palm of my hand,” Jillian Houston, Max’s mom said.
Jillian rescued Max, a Bali street dog, several years ago before moving back to the United States. Often she said he spends his evenings on the porch of their home sitting in his beloved tipi before bed.
“He’s a little out of it cause he’s had to deal with his meds,” Hart Houston, Max’s dad said Sunday.
This past Monday though the couple said a pack of four coyotes jumped the fence, came into their backyard and up onto their porch and dragged Max out of his tipi.
“I heard what sounded like a bunch of dogs, I opened the blinds and saw a bunch of coyotes flinging around what I thought was a dead animal at the time,” Jillian said.
Jillian said she screamed out the window, scaring the coyotes and then Max came into the house covered in blood, feces and snow. The couple quickly rushed him to a night vet in Basalt.
“They scanned him, he had broken ribs so they had to open him completely,” Hart said. “Coyotes have bacteria in their teeth and they had to open him up and flush him out completely, which was a pretty invasive surgery.”
The couple said the coyotes bit Max so hard they made big gashes between two of the ribs on one side and a third on the other side.
“We are just thankful we have Max alive,” Jillian said. “That’s the best Christmas gift.”
The couple said it’s been a traumatic few days taking Max to and from multiple veterinarian offices. But they are so appreciative of everyone who helped save their dog’s life, especially Dr. Imhoff, who they said took Max overnight twice to keep an eye on him.
“He’s our best little friend,” Jillian said about Max.
The couple said even though Max is home, he still isn’t out of the woods just yet because of the risk of infection from the bacteria in the coyotes’ mouths.
“The doctor said at his recent checkup, he’s not in the clear yet because the internal surgery was really extensive and he’s still vulnerable to the bacteria,” Jillian said.
The couple also said they were thankful for family, friends and strangers in the community who helped donate via a GoFundMe to help with Max’s vet bills.
The couple is still anticipating further surgeries while Max continues to heal. If you’d like to donate and help with his vet bills you can do so here.
“He’s basically my right-hand man,” Hart said. “I take him to work with me every day.”
The couple wants to warn other pet owners to really be aware of wildlife here in Colorado. They said they had never seen coyotes in their area and clearly, with how close the pack came to the front door, they weren’t afraid.
They said they are making adjustments to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again and also credit Max’s thick collar for stopping a deadly puncture wound by the coyotes.
