Little dog nearly lunch for adaptable coyote Encounters become more common
May 13, 2008
Bentley, a 2-year old Chihuahua owned by Jessica Ganchou of Bethlehem, is luckly to be alive after he was mauled and nearly killed by a coyote earlier this year. (Jim Shannon / RA)
Bentley the longhaired Chihuahua has a second chance at life thanks to a 9-volt battery, a loving owner and two skilled veterinarians who put him back together after he was attacked by a coyote.
The lap dog with the golden coat and diminutive body was romping behind his owner’s Bethlehem house at dusk Jan. 19 when a coyote snatched him. The coyote’s teeth pierced the dog’s flesh and clamped down as it headed for the edge of the yard.
Technology intervened. Bentley, who was wearing a battery-powered collar tuned to an electric fence in the yard, got an electrical shock as the coyote stepped over the metal wire. The charge zapped the coyote, which dropped Bentley and skulked away.
The little dog was lucky. Wildlife experts and veterinarians across Connecticut say the number of coyote attacks on pets, particularly small dogs like Bentley that appear as prey, has increased in recent years. Suburban sprawl is considered the biggest factor; homes built near hills and streams are in natural coyote habitat. Few disagree coyotes, which resemble small German shepherds, have become more aggressive, and are losing their innate fear of humans, as evidenced by the 2006 attack on two Washington, Conn., residents.
“The bottom line is coyotes are expanding into populated areas and perhaps into areas where pet owners are totally unsuspecting,” said Chris Vann, a wildlife biologist with the state Department of Environmental Protection. “They will protect their territories. If it can happen in the backyards of West Hartford and East Hartford, more populated areas, it can really happen anywhere.”
After a little internet searching, reading, and checking up on this stuff I found it’s a pretty well established product in Canada and hails from Quebec where they have this funny habit of speaking a lot of French. Thus the name, Jig-A-Loo, and the company’s claim it derives from a saying they have up north, “I’ve got it!” 
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I dont think enough people mention when they see a coyote. I also dont think there is enough publicity or areas to report them in CT. I saw one in my own yard in Norwalk, CT. Right by the Merrit. It was broad daylight. It was coming up behind us until My Lab turned around and wanted to go after it. I held her back and the coyote ran away.
Ralph, thanks for commenting. You are so right about people not calling in reports and to be honest I think a lot of people get them confused with regular dogs.
Exactly, when i turned around, my split second instinct thought it was a German Shepard but after realizing how it walked and getting a better look I knew it was a Coyote. News12 covers some stories but not enough to get the general public aware. Do you have numbers or websites we can report sitings?
Ralph, the only #’s that I know of are for the CT DEP at this link,
http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=2690&q=322410&depNav_GID=1511
I live in Middletown. Yesterday mid morning while sitting on my deck a Coyote (which at first I also thought was a German Shepard) ran down the side of my house towards my backyard into the brush along side the Coginchug River bank. Many geese and other wildlife live throughout the banks. This was the first time I actually saw one. Other neighbors have seen them before.
My 11 year old cat Harry went missing 3 weeks after moving into my new home., I live in West Hartford near the reservoir..neighbors say there are coyote and/or a fox patrolling the neighborhoods early mornings..This cat has been going out in the woods of Rocky Hill for 11 years, I cannot believe he was in the wrong place wrong time and got eaten by a predator. :((( ..I am worried though because he knew all the doors and decks on this house pretty well in a short order after we moved in..3 weeks later poof….he vanishes..I have gone to all local vets, animal control and humane society, emailed Scott Haney, and hired petfinders to call around the neighborhood….I have even asked the woman who bought my condo in Rocky HIll to keep her eye out in case he goes there….I wish I knew what happened it is the not knowing that is killing me…..I miss Harry ….
The overpopulation of coyotes has become a serious problem in the state of CT and something needs to be done. I’ve been searching the web learning more about this serious problem all day and It seems to be a concern people have, yet nobody is offering any solutions. Yesterday morning my mother let her 8 year old cockerspaniel out around 7pm to go potty, like she always does. Well after a few minutes my mom went to bring the dog in and she wasn’t anywhere to be found. Herself, my brother and father looked for hours… and she didn’t turn up. So reluctantly they called off the search for the night, only to resume it again at 5am the next morning, After driving around the neighborhood, which is heavily wooded in areas, my brother while slowly rolling in his truck down the road was approached by a frantic woman that came running from her house. She asked my brother if he was looking for a black and white dog, and he said yes. She started sobbing at that moment and proceeded to tell him that she seen a coyote run through her yard with a black and white dog in it’s mouth around 7:30 the night before. She was a smaller breed of spaniel. yet she was fairly heavy as her nickname was “fatty”. About 35-40lbs. This is the worst experience a dog lover could ever experience. Laws prohibit you from shooting coyotes as they are a protected species, yet they are very dangerous, and the overpopulation is causing starvation and desperation. Something needs to be done.
Jessica Ct