I had a very upsetting experience this afternoon, and I’m still feeling unsettled by it. I live in the suburbs, and it’s not uncommon to observe many different types of wildlife crossing through my backyard on any given day. We see deer on a daily basis, groundhogs, rabbits, possum, skunks, raccoons, and a wide variety of birds–from beautiful songbirds and hummingbirds, to birds of prey like hawks and owls. I’ve seen hawks swoop down and scoop up a sparrow lunch, and stray cats make a meal of an unfortunate chipmunk or squirrel, but today was different.
I tried to coax the dog to come to me, so that I could get a look at its color and call its owner, but it was skittish and hesitated to come any closer. He looked out into the woods bordering my property, and suddenly, a young coyote appeared out of the brush and starting chasing the dog. I had no idea he was being hunted, and was powerless to stop it.
I would love to believe that the dog escaped, but I doubt it. He was so small, and that coyote was quick. I called the police to report the incident, but beyond that, there was nothing that could be done.