A coyote attacked and killed a small dog early today while the dog was out for an early-morning walk with his owner in a park in Sussex County, police said.
The dog owner, a 22-year-old Sparta man who was not identified by police, was out for a walk with his dog at 8:30 a.m. when the unleashed dog ran about 100 yards ahead of the man on a hiking trail in Sparta Glen Park, police said.
The dog’s owner then heard the sound of animals fighting and ran toward the sound of the commotion to check on his 3-year-old Miniature Pinscher, which weighed approximately 20 pounds, police said.
When he arrived at the bloody scene, the man saw a large coyote standing over the dog, which suffered serious wounds to its abdomen, police said. The dog died several minutes later.
“He’s (the dog owner) is just heartbroken over the whole thing,” said Sparta police Sgt. John-Paul Beebe, adding the coyote fled when the dog owner reached the scene.
Beebe said the man, who took daily walks with his dog at the approximate 90-acre, heavily wooded park located off Glen Road on the side of Sparta Mountain, described the coyote to police following the attack.
“There’s no doubt about it,” he said.
Beebe said it was the first coyote-dog attack in Sparta that he was aware of.
“This was the first attack, but they’re out there. We have a large population of bears and coyotes,” he said.
Coyotes resemble German shepherd dogs and have various colors, including blond, red and black, according to staff members at the state Division of Fish & Game.
Eastern Coyotes, the type of coyote involved in the attack, weigh on average about 40 pounds and are found in all of the state’s 21 counties, said Larry Hajna, a spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Protection. They are larger than their Western counterparts and some have been found to weigh as much as 60 pounds.
While they generally do not attack people, one or two of the renegade coyotes tried to drag off two children in separate incidents in Monmouth County in 2007, which state wildlife officials described as the first known predatory attacks by the canines.
“With coyotes, you’re dealing with a perception issue. A coyote attack on people is extremely rare,” said Hajna.
Wildlife officials have estimated there are between 3,000 and 5,000 coyotes in the state. Hajna said there are no scientific studies to determine a more accurate count.
There are both hunting and trapping seasons for coyotes in the fall and winter, he said.
Beebe, a dog owner himself, advised dog owners not to allow their animals to roam without a leash.
“We all have to be mindful of the fact that there are bears and coyotes that live in our community. Small dogs and cats can be considered prey items to these animals. So please keep your pets leashed when not on your own property,” he said.
Dog owners in Sparta face a $250 first-time fine for allowing their pets to roam without a license, said Beebe.
Sparta is heeding the advise of the Division of Fish & Wildlife and will not close the park because of the incident, he said.
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