It happened in the blink of an eye. Timothy Snipe was taking his chihuahua, Roxie, out for a bathroom break outside his home in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina when Roxie suddenly started barking. Snipe tried to peer into the woods to see what his dog was barking at, only to have her take off in that direction.
Roxie had seen a coyote, who was intent on eating her. Snipe knew that if the coyote got hold of Roxie, it would be the end of her. He couldn’t let his beloved pup die in such a way.
He tackled the coyote, who bit him on the leg before he could grab it by the tail. He was able to carry it by the tail to a dumpster, where he requested help from Animal Control from there. He eventually ended up killing the coyote, who was taken away by animal control for rabies testing. The rabies testing on the coyote is not yet complete at the time of this writing. Update: Rabies testing came back positive for the coyote.
Snipe received 9 rabies shots as a precaution in case testing came back positive. Despite his injuries, he says he would do it all again to protect his dog. “Once you get a pet, they’re automatically a part of the family,” Snipe says, “This is my girl.”
Roxie is very lucky to have an amazing owner like him. She now wears a coyote vest when going out in public, so if she takes off after a coyote again, she has some protection.
Unfortunately for us chihuahua owners, chihuahuas are particularly vulnerable to predation. Coyotes, mountain lions, and even smaller animals like eagles and owls can view chihuahuas as prey. You can help your pet stay safe through coyote proof vests, (ad) which also work on other predators, as well as by being outside with them when they are out.
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