WYCOFF, N.J. (1010 WINS) -- Officials in New Jersey are warning Wycoff residents to be on alert for a coyote on the loose after they say it attacked and killed a dog.
ABC 7 that the coyote attacked and killed her chihuahua Hartman, who was in her backyard on Tuesday night.Heitman says she had just let the dog out and he barely went past the shrubs near her patio when the coyote attacked.Doris' grandson Brian Heitman was able to track the dog about a half mile away.
Days earlier, a Mahwah woman was bitten several times by a coyote.
After striking it with a bat, she was eventually able to force the coyote away, police said.Police say the animals are very common to the area and have patrols searching.A statement from the Township of Mahwah reminded residents that most towns in Bergen and Passaic Counties have a thriving population of coyotes. and they are beneficial as a form of rodent control.
"Coyotes prey mostly on deer, rodents, rabbits, and roadkill. If you have noticed coyotes in your neighborhood, you probably have also noticed a reduction in rats, chipmunks, and squirrels."