Coyotes Attack Family Dog In Southern NH

LITCHFIELD, NH — A family dog was attacked by coyotes in Litchfield Monday, prompting an alert from an animal welfare organization. The 55-pound pit bull was in the backyard of a residence when two coyotes approached and one went after the dog, yipping and attempting to bite it. The dog escaped the attack and was not injured.

A home security camera captured the attack, shown below.

Granite State Dog Recovery shared the video and issued a public service announcement, as this is the breeding season for coyotes and the animals can be more aggressive than usual. Breeding season is from January to March.

An estimated 5,000 eastern coyotes live across New Hampshire. The animals typically don't attack family pets or livestock. Coyotes can be hunted year-round.

"Coyotes are elusive, adaptive, intelligent animals that manage to hold their own when living in close contact with humans," reads a New Hampshire Fish and Game primer on the animals. "Most coyote management attempts have been designed to reduce their population numbers, however, due to their fecundity, behavior and adaptability, those attempts have failed."

Photo credit: Shutterstock