A Waterbury dog owner has a warning for other dog owners after a Coyote attacks and kills her pet.
Laura Brazee's 10-year-old Papillon named Dylan always stayed close by her side, so it wasn't out of the ordinary for the seven pound pup to join her in their Waterbury backyard Saturday morning. He ran around while she worked up on the deck.
"I just keep reliving it in my head," said Brazee. "It was just an awful, helpless feeling that I don't wish on anybody."
Brazee says she heard what sounded like a dog fight and turned to see Dylan with what looked like her neighbor's German Shepherd. When she looked closer, she realized it was actually a coyote.
"My heart sank, and I tried to run up there," said Brazee. "He was so fast, so fast. He had him in his mouth and was on the run before I could even get off my deck and start running there, but I kept running and screaming, 'No, no, no!' trying to maybe hopefully scare him to drop him and hope for a miracle."
It was too late. The coyote took off and Dylan was gone.
"The two of us just literally sat in the grass and we cried," said neighbor Gerry Horan who heard the commotion.
Horan has lived on Madeline Avenue in Waterbury for 33 years and has never seen a coyote. She says it's changed how she takes her poodle, Bailey, outside.
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"Now I go outside, and it's like I'm looking all around. I'm looking behind my back. I'm looking into the woods," said Horan.
State wildlife experts say coyotes typically attack pets less than 25 pounds and are most active at night. The fact a coyote attacked during the day in Waterbury shocked neighbors.
"People need to be aware everywhere you are, not just in the country. It's getting into areas now where everyone needs to be aware. They have to be vigilant, and they have to pay attention. Just don't let your dogs run around in the yard by themselves no matter where you are," said Brazee. "Even if you're walking your dog on a leash, you still have to be aware and concerned because they come swiftly and violently, and there's nothing you can do."
Brazee says she's keeping a much closer eye on her Silky Terrier, Skyler, and their surroundings. She hopes her story alerts other pet owners so what happened to her doesn't happen to them.
"I just hope this helps somebody else from having to go through the same tragedy, same pain," said Brazee. "It's a terrible way to lose your pet. It's a terrible way."
