Woman's Dog Attacked by 2 Coyotes in Riverside: Police

A Riverside woman's dog was attacked by coyotes Thursday afternoon within minutes of being let out into the backyard, police announced in a release.

The woman told Riverside police her mother-in-law, who lives in the 300 block of Uvedale Road, was looking after her Weimaraner on Feb. 9 at the time of the attack. Her mother-in-law had let the 46-pound dog into her backyard, which is surrounded by a 4-foot-tall chain link fence, according to police reports. Just minutes after letting the dog out at 11 a.m., the woman's mother-in-law reportedly heard the dog crying and ran outside to see what was wrong.

She said that two coyotes, described as grayish in color and wolflike, were attacking the dog.

The mother-in-law said she started to make loud noises and throw things at the coyotes, and they hopped the fence and ran away.

The Weimaraner survived the attack and didn't need stitches, but was treated for her wound at Janda Veterinary Hospital in Cicero that afternoon.

In its release, the Riverside Police Department said there hadn't been any other reports of coyote sightings in the area that day or week. There have been two sightings so far this year, officials said, including this incident. In 2016, that number totaled 36.

"This is mating season for coyotes and I advise residents to call police if a coyote gets into their rear yard or confronts their household pets," Chief Thomas Weitzel said in the release. "Riverside has extensive information on our website in reference to coyotes and how to deal with them. This includes a checklist for residents. I am very thankful that the dog was not seriously injured, but I encourage residents to call police when the incident is happening or immediately following so we can do a thorough and proper investigation."

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Photo courtesy of the Riverside PD