When Dog's Life Is Threatened by Coyote, Owner Fights It Off Using a Coffee Cup
Most people depend on their morning cup of coffee to keep them energized. But for one Florida man, a coffee cup recently became a literal life-saver.
Ben Pool lives with his dog in Fruitland Park near Lake County, Florida. Like many places across the U.S., Pool’s neighborhood isn’t far from roaming packs of coyotes.
“They’re all back behind here,” Pool told Daytona Beach NBC affiliate WESH. He explained that coyote calls are often audible, but the animals normally stay out of sight. ‘
However, Live Science explains that coyotes are facing increasing survival challenges. Expanding cities and towns sometimes encroach on the regions where these creatures hunt for food.
According to Live Science, coyotes are often fairly solitary, though they frequently hunt in packs. They’re also generally nocturnal, but may forage during the day if prey is scarce.
In terms of diet, Live Science notes that Coyotes are omnivores. That means they’ll eat a wide range of foods, including smaller forms of wildlife, vegetation, fruit, grass, rodents, snakes, insects and even garbage left outside.
Unfortunately, it also means that an especially hungry coyote may go after domesticated pets. That’s exactly what Pool recently experienced when he was outside with his canine.
“My dog and a coyote were standing face to face, fixing to go at it,” Pool told WESH. Initially, however, he was able to separate the two animals.
But this particular coyote seemed especially insistent, even hostile. Live Science notes that coyotes are highly agile, and can sometimes pursue their prey by sprinting at up to 40 mph.
Pool immediately realized he didn’t have any sort of weapon or deterrent at his disposal. Well, except for the travel coffee cup he was holding at the time.
So, wanting desperately to protect his furry friend, Pool used that cup to battle back against the persistent predator.
“He came at my legs, first, I smashed him in the side of the head with the cup. He came at me again, I smashed him again and then he jumped up at my face, when he did that I jumped back, smacked him in the side of the head, he screamed and he went down,” Pool said.
Pool then hurried up the street with his pet, and the pair managed to reach their house. But Pool says the coyote simply wouldn’t back off.
“It was extremely aggressive, it did not respond to anything I had ever heard, like making noise. The more I did that, the madder it got and the more it came at me,” he said.
Pool eventually got into his truck in an attempt to frighten the animal away. “When I did, it jumped up at the window of the truck,” he said.
Finally, to keep himself and others from getting mauled, Pool said he struck the coyote with his vehicle. Given the aggressive nature of the coyote, WESH reports that Pool isn’t facing any legal intervention from officials for the way in which the creature was killed.
Thankfully, Pool’s pooch managed to survive the scary encounter. The family vet is now checking the dog regularly, just to guard against rabies.
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