'Pudding' Attacked, Killed by Coyotes on Upper Black Rock Turnpike

Pudding, a small dog who lived on upper Black Rock Turnpike in Fairfield, was attacked and killed by at least two coyotes late Wednesday after its owner let the dog outside to go to the bathroom, police said.

Pudding, described as a Pomeranian-type dog, was attacked by two or three coyotes that had been chasing deer. The dog's owner, who lives in the 4000 block of Black Rock Turnpike, tried to get the coyotes off her dog by hitting them with a broom, but the injuries to Pudding proved fatal after the owner rushed the little dog to an emergency animal hospital in Norwalk, police said.

"A woman let the little dog out to relieve itself in the backyard, and two coyotes chasing deer saw the dog and attacked it," Police Lt. James Perez said. "The dog did die."

Perez said the woman notified police of the attack at 10:30 a.m. Thursday and described the coyotes as "wolf-like looking dogs."

The attack came two weeks to the day after Cathy Curley of nearby Lakewood Drive in Fairfield snapped pictures of two large coyotes in her yard and said her children thought they looked like wolves. At the time, Animal Control Officer Paul Miller advised residents not to leave small dogs, cats or small children unattended outside and to remove food from their yard, such as bird seed or bowls of cat food and dog food.

"The days of leaving your dog outside by itself at night should not be done anymore," Perez said, adding that pet owners should walk their dogs on a leash at night and carry a flashlight. If they come across a coyote, they should shine the flashlight in the coyotes' eyes, make noise to scare the coyote, go inside immediately and call 911, Perez said. He said dog owners should not try to challenge a coyote.

Perez added that residents should not leave small children or cats unattended outside. While there isn't a case of a coyote attacking a child in Fairfield, there were two such incidents in Rye, N.Y. last summer.

Pudding's owner saw two coyotes attack her dog but thought a third may have been involved as well. She was too wrapped up in what happened to call police right away, Perez said. "These animals have the ability to take care of themselves to a certain extent," Perez said of dogs, "but when you have a crazy coyote, that's not going to matter. They're vicious."