Video shows coyote snatch dog from front yard of Pasco home

TRINITY, Fla. - It took all of three seconds for Leah Cornell’s 14-year-old Chihuahua, Zoey, to fall prey to a coyote.

Cornell’s husband was a few feet away when it happened right outside their Trinity home.

“We let our dog out to go to the bathroom before we go to bed like we usually do,” Leah said. “She walked out literally 20 feet from the garage, and she was in the grass.”

That’s when, Cornell says, a coyote crept down the street, its eyes locked on Zoey.

“You can actually see the coyote coming through the dark shadows and eying her up from far away.”

For Zoey’s entire life, she wasn’t used to wearing a leash, so Leah says that’s why the dog wasn’t wearing one that night. When the coyote came, Leah says her husband heard Zoey yelp, as the coyote took off with the small dog in its mouth.

“My husband dropped everything and started running after the coyote down the street, like running the same pace as the coyote the whole way,” Leah said. “They made it three houses down, and I think the coyote was hearing my husband yell, and got spooked. It dropped my dog, and my husband picked it up.”

Zoey was rushed to an animal clinic, but did not survive her injuries. 

Leah says she and her husband were just feet away from Zoey, but not even that was enough to save her. So she took to social media, hoping a post would prevent something like this from happening again.

“I wanted people to see how unexpected things like this could happen,” Leah continued. “I want people to be aware. It’s very unfortunate that I lost my dog of 14 and a half years. But if it could save another family from making the same mistake we made, I don’t want anyone else to live with the guilt we’re having to live with of losing our dog.”

Cornell believes the non-stop construction in Pasco County may have contributed to her dog’s death, as the animals have been pushed out of their habitats, and into neighborhoods like the Cornells.'

The Florida Department of Wildlife Conservation Commission says coyotes can be found throughout the state and have been documented in all 67 Florida counties. They are common in rural, suburban and urban landscapes.

Coyotes naturally prey on smaller animals, including small cats and dogs. To prevent coyote interactions with your pets, FWC offers the following recommendations:

• Pets should not roam freely. Cats should be kept indoors and small dogs should be walked on a short leash.
• People should use caution when walking pets in wooded areas or near heavy foliage, as these are areas where coyotes could den or nest.
• If pets are kept in a fenced area outside, the fence should be high enough (about 6 feet) so that coyotes cannot jump over and the bottom of the fence should be checked regularly to ensure that coyotes cannot crawl underneath.