Colby, the 14 year old cocker spaniel in a picture with Santa. (Photo submitted)
WESTFIELD – A Westfield resident alerted the Westfield News on Thursday that her dog was attacked by a coyote on Wednesday night. Carol Shannon, who lives near Holyoke Road, said her 14-year-old Cocker Spaniel was attacked by a coyote at approximately 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
According to Shannon, the dog was tied out in the yard and when Shannon’s son went outside after the attack and he saw the dog acting crazy and the dog ran in the house bleeding.
Once the dog was inside, Shannon’s son, Chris, yelled at the coyote to encourage it to leave the area but the animal did not move for some time and continued to stare in the direction of the house.
Shannon said that the Cocker Spaniel suffered a number of punctured wounds on its neck and received a “fair” prognosis when she immediately brought the dog to Boston Road Animal Hospital in Springfield. Surgery was conducted on the dog there and then Shannon had her pet checked by her local veterinarian on Thursday morning. Shannon added that her dog eventually passed away from his injuries on Thursday evening.
Shannon noted that her dog had often slipped through collars easily and that the dog had a big hunting collar.
Shannon mentioned that one of her neighbors had spotted a coyote last year and wants to remind the community to be aware.
“People need to be aware,” said Shannon. “I warned some of my neighbors that have small dogs.”
The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation has tips and ways to prevent interactions with coyotes on their website, including ways to keep your pets secure from the wild animals.
