A coyote killed a dog in a Michigan Road yard on Saturday afternoon and scampered off with its body, according to police.
At about 3 p.m. on Aug. 22, a husband and wife were inside their home near the intersection of Jennifer Lane when they heard their dog barking outside and then, after hearing a yip, went outside to find what was happening and saw a coyote running away, according to a report filed with the New Canaan Police Department’s Animal Control Unit.
It isn’t clear what breed the dog was—the animal had been left in the yard, protected by an invisible fence, according to Officer Maryann Kleinschmitt, head of Animal Control.
This time of year, the coyotes born from about March to May are starting to hunt on their own, and their prey can include cats and smaller dogs, Kleinschmitt said.
“They’re out of the nest now, almost full-grown, and we’ve seen a lot of them running around,” Kleinschmitt said. Residents reported coyote sightings on Saturday and three more in different areas of town on Monday, she said.
“Coyotes will eat a small dog, especially if they know it will be around and outside at about the same time of day—they’re opportunists,” Kleinschmitt said.