A Mountlake Terrace family is warning other pet owners after their beloved dog was attacked by a coyote. Now missing pet signs are appearing in their neighborhood.
COYOTE ATTACKS DOG:
KIRO 7 spoke with Lisa and Jeff Rennhack, the owners of 11-year-old Archie.
Late Friday night, the owners said Jeff let both of their dogs outside of their home so they could handle their business.
About 30 seconds later, Jeff said he heard his dog squeal for help.
“It was mind-numbing,” he said. “I was totally surprised.”
He continued, “I heard a large squeal. And I looked over. There were two coyotes. One pounced on top of Archie and one was standing to the right. I started running towards, screaming, to get their attention.”
Jeff said he spotted the coyotes in his front yard, near his mailbox.
One coyote was biting Archie while pinning their dog down, Lisa said.
“I was surprised they were there on top of my dog,” Jeff said.
KIRO 7 saw two deep cuts on both sides of Archie’s body.
“The second I saw him, I freaked out,” Lisa said. “I went white.”
She continued, “It’s horrible. I mean this is a deep puncture wound. Bruising. He got a bite mark on his front paw. He has a little slash above his eye that was bleeding.”
This isn’t Archie’s first tragic moment. Lisa said their beloved dog was shot twice under the care of the previous owner. The bullets are still inside his body.
Lisa credits her husband for saving their dog’s life. Jeff said he was able to scare off the coyotes by standing tall and shouting at them. The coyotes ran away and stared back at Jeff about 100 feet away.
“He (Archie) ran into the house and ran into his kennel, and was kind of hiding there,” Jeff said. “When we pulled him out, finally we can see he was bleeding pretty bad from one side and was nervously shaking.”
“It (coyote) could’ve taken either of these dogs away,” Lisa said.
The Rennhacks are now warning other pet owners to be on the lookout to keep their beloved pets safe.
“It can happen to you,” Jeff said. “Seeing the signs at the end of the street, missing animals, it’s happening and to be aware and be cautious.”
“They (missing pet signs) all of a sudden are going up, these missing pet signs, and I think that would be us if didn’t know what to come away, or why he never came back in,” Lisa said. “If people don’t know it’s out there, and they let them go out like we did really quick, because you know it’ll come right back, the coyote can be lurking in the bushes and ready to take it.”
She continued, “Now, they’ll (their dogs) always be on a leash. It’s too scary.”
NEIGHBORS:
KIRO 7 also spoke with several neighbors nearby following the attack, including Justin Kizziar, who has lived in the neighborhood for 21 years.
“Definitely a rise in coyotes,” he said. “Now you look out your window sometimes, in the middle of the night, and you see a coyote walking down the middle of the street. I saw one two months ago. I thought it was a big dog. I was like, that’s a wolf or a coyote.”
Kizziar said he is also concerned for the smaller children in the area as there are elementary schools nearby.
“It’s crazy to think that the dog you see running across the street could no longer be there tomorrow when you wake up and you hear about it,” he said. “It’s sad to think about. It could be your animal or your little kid, if you’re not paying attention.”
He continued, “I just know I see them all the time now. It makes me feel bad for other people who own animals because I know there are a lot of people here who own animals.”
MISSING PET SIGNS:
KIRO 7 also saw four missing pet signs in the Mountlake Terrace neighborhood where Archie was attacked.
Neighbors told us they have been seeing missing pet signs appear in the community amid the increase in reports of coyote sightings.
We spoke with Jack Walkley, who is searching for his 10-month-old adopted dog, Nami.
He said Nami went missing on January 25, two weeks after he and his wife had adopted her.
During their search for their furry loved one, he said his wildlife cameras, planted in Mountlake Terrace, spotted coyotes.
“It’s definitely disheartening,” he said. “We’re just trying to find where our dog is, right, and to know, there aren’t only natural obstacles of finding a dog, there are potential predators, is not ideal. I had people, when putting signs up, they saw coyotes in the area so they were worried even.”
Walkley said his dog has white fur with brown/tan spots and blue and brown eyes.
If you have seen Nami, you’re asked to email Walkley at jack.walkley@live.com.
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE:
KIRO 7 spoke with the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife to learn more about coyotes and how pet owners can protect their beloved friends.
The agency said coyotes live across nearly all of Washington, from the shrub-steppe to the alpine, as well as many urban and suburban areas. However, they are commonly found in wooded green spaces and parks within cities, including Seattle and Spokane.
Coyotes are most active at night and during the early morning and evening hours, the agency said.
The animal eats a diverse range of food, including rabbits, small rodents, garbage, birdseed, fruit, moles, etc.
However, when people feed the coyotes -- which is strongly discouraged -- coyotes quickly lose their natural fear of humans and can become aggressive.
If people encounter a coyote, they’re encouraged to not run away from it, but rather, stand tall, stare into their eyes, and shout at it.
“You also can throw something at it,” the agency said. “Make loud noises, wave sticks, squirt it with a hose, or otherwise ‘haze’ the coyote if it approaches. This ‘humane hazing’ can help re-establish the coyote’s natural fear of people.”
However, coyotes may not be as easily scared during the months from February through July as it’s considered “pup season.”
Coyotes will fiercely defend their dens. If coyotes do not respond to “hazing,” and appear increasingly agitated, the agency recommends people to calmly walk away from the coyote, without turning their backs to it, and maintain eye contact with the animal.
The agency also encourages homeowners to have a “5-foot woven-wire fence with extenders facing outward at the top of each post should prevent coyotes from climbing over.”
It also recommends people bury fencing at least 8 inches deep as coyotes can easily dig underneath fences.
For more details on how to protect your loved ones and pets, please click here.