Woman, small dog chased home by coyote in Port Coquitlam

PORT COQUITLAM (NEWS 1130) — A woman was chased home after encountering a coyote while walking her dog at night in Port Coquitlam.

The woman says the coyote seemed to be after her small dog.

Darlene Bene was walking to the end of her alley near Western Drive and Mary Hill Road with her chihuahua Chloe when she spotted the coyote in the bushes and tried walking away.

“But it came towards me and I just ran,” she tells NEWS 1130. “I got to the door and it was right behind me.”

She was able to slam the door in the animal’s face, but only with seconds to spare.

“I was lucky,” she says. “[Coyotes] are brazen they’re not scared. They will attack if you have a small dog.”

Bene says she has seen more coyotes in her neighbourhood recently, but thinks the situation could have been much worse.

RELATED: Coyote attacks pet cat in Vancouver, prompts warning from vets

Todd Hunter with the B.C. Conservation Officer Service says coyotes are often more aggressive when small animals are nearby.

“We have seen a little bit of a spike in call volumes regarding coyotes,” he says. “We’ve had a number of calls where there’s conflict with animals, dogs being attacked and killed within the Ridge Meadows area.”

He notes some cats had been taken in the Port Coquitlam area as well. Typically, conservation officers get involved when there are situations involving people, Hunter says.

The BC SPCA warns that urban coyotes can become more brazen as they’re used to being around people and eating scraps left in our garbage. It urges people to keep cats and dogs indoors especially at night.

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