A coyote attacked a woman and a dog in Panton on Sunday, according to Vermont’s Fish & Wildlife Department.
Coyote attacks are “exceedingly rare” in Vermont, according to Chris Bernier, a wildlife biologist with the department. Four such instances have been documented in the last 30 years, and none resulted in life-threatening injuries. In one instance, the coyote was rabid.
Jessica Devoid was walking through an unmowed field near her home with her 8-month-old puppy, according to a WCAX report. Authorities don’t know whether the dog was leashed. An “apparently healthy” coyote emerged from the grass and attacked the dog, according to her account, outlined in a release from the department.
The coyote then attacked and bit Devoid, puncturing her cheek, before she retreated with the dog while shouting to deter the animal, the release said.
“I knew that I couldn’t watch my dog be ripped to shreds and I knew that everything I had seen on any television show or read in any book had said to be big and scary and fight — and I did,” Devoid told WCAX.
Emergency medical services provided on-site treatment and advised her to seek medical advice about precautionary rabies treatment, the release said. She didn’t report any injuries to the attacked dog, which appeared “fine, not upset or in pain or anything,” Wesley Butler, the game warden who responded to the incident, told VTDigger.
Butler said it’s possible the coyote could be rabid, but some signals reduced his concerns about the fatal neurologic illness. He hasn’t received additional calls from the area about rabid animals, for example.
Given the landscape, which included an old barn nearby and a field with tall grass, Butler guessed the coyote might have been defending pups. At the least, the incident likely resulted from mutual surprise among the dog, Devoid and the wild animal, he said.
“Aggressive behavior by healthy coyotes is most common during the late spring and summer, when coyotes defending young will be protective of the area around their dens, or in cases when coyotes have become habituated to finding food near people’s residences,” the release states.
The coyote had disappeared by the time Butler arrived. If Butler had spotted it, he said, he would have euthanized the animal for rabies testing. At this time, no one is pursuing the coyote — it would be impossible to find the right one, he said. No other coyote sightings have been reported in the area, according to the release.
Bernier said the incident was likely a “one-off.” Vermonters “shouldn’t feel like they need to fear coyotes as a result of this one incident,” he said.
“Coyotes are important members of our ecosystem and Vermonters have a good track record of living safely alongside our state’s healthy, stable coyote population,” Bernier said.
To steer clear of encounters with coyotes and other wildlife, the Department of Fish & Wildlife recommended avoiding known den sites through September, keeping dogs leashed and minimizing food scents, including trash cans left outdoors or uncleaned grills.
If a coyote approaches, officials said it’s best to make loud noises, wave one’s arms or throw sticks and rocks to deter the animal. Coyote encounters, along with instances where coyotes show consistent bold behavior or little fear of people, should be reported to Fish & Wildlife.
“The complainant did many things right in this incident,” Butler said. “Resolving the immediate threat, making loud noises to deter the coyote from attacking further if applicable, and retreating from the area and contacting emergency services are what we would recommend in any similar situation.”