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Woman's Small Dog Attacked By Coyotes In Mt. Lebanon

MT. LEBANON (KDKA) -- A woman visiting the area is putting out a warning to local parents and pet owners after she went through a frightening experience Sunday night with one of her small dogs.

It was in a backyard in Mount Lebanon where Tammy McKean says one of her four dogs was attacked by coyotes.

McKean says the animals were big and brown.

McKean, of North Carolina, has been visiting family in Mount Lebanon for several months now. She says she visits the area often, but has never experienced what happened Sunday night.

"Like normal, my dogs go out at 8:30 every night, normal routine... and I let the four out. I turn around to come back in for a few minutes, and the next thing, he was yelping," said McKean.

The dog she is referring to is 5-year-old Bear, a mixed breed. McKean says Bear was attacked by one of two coyotes in the backyard.

"I went out there, and I seen the two coyotes," she says. "I went running towards them, they let him go."

"Typically, a coyote is an opportunistic hunter," said Doug Bergman, a wildlife conservation officer. "In the situation with a small dog, that is something maybe a coyote would do."

Bergman covers about 350 square miles in his territory, which includes Mount Lebanon. He says coyotes have been spotted in every region of his district and can be as large as 30 to 35 pounds.

McKean was worried that coyotes in the area might attack a child.

Officer Bergman says although it has happened, coyotes are not known to attack humans.

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As for Bear, the little dog is recovering from his wounds.

"The bite mark was actually the size of the jaw," said McKean.

Officer Bergman offers this advice: "My suggestion would be for small pet owners, don't let your pet unattended in a situation where something like that can occur."

McKean says she is already heeding that advice.

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