Orange County coyote attack: Irvine neighbors spring into action to rescue dog

IRVINE, Calif. (KABC) — Rachael Rennie spends her days caring for other people's dogs, but nothing prepared her for the moment a coyote nearly took her own.

It was Saturday evening outside her Irvine home when Rennie took her dogs, Mishka and Rocky, out for a quick walk before bedtime.

“I keep my head on a swivel,” Rennie said. “I looked across the street and saw this coyote right across the street. I saw it before it came up to us, and it was looking at us.”

Rennie was aware of a previous coyote attacks on her street, which is why both of her dogs were leashed. But despite her shouts and frantic waving, the coyote zeroed in on Rocky, her 5-year-old Schnauzer-Poodle mix.

“Grabbed him by the neck, pulled him out of his harness and ran around the corner,” she said. “I thought I had lost him.”

Thankfully, neighbors heard the commotion and came out to help.

“They managed to chase the coyote off and get him to drop Rocky,” Rennie said. “They brought him to me. He was bleeding, but he was breathing and alive.”

Rocky was rushed to a veterinarian, fighting for his life. The attack left Rennie shaken – and facing steep medical bills.

“I have an emotional connection to him,” she said. “He's the last thing I have from my dad. So it was worth it, especially because he had a chance at a full recovery.”

Rennie has set up a GoFundMe page to help cover the cost of Rocky's care. She's also warning other pet owners.

“Just because you're there, they're not safe,” she said. “They need other precautions. I am buying a coyote vest for my dogs.”

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife said Rennie did everything right – keeping her dogs leashed, yelling, and trying to appear large – but in some cases that may not be enough.

“Report it so we can see ‘Hey, maybe there is a trend in this neighborhood,'” said Steve Gonzalez, a spokesperson for the department. “There's a high-number of incidents that occur and we would go out there and investigate.”

Five days after the vicious attack, Rocky is on the road to recovery.

To report a wildlife incident click on the link.