A Yorkshire terrier came to the defense of her 10-year-old owner on Tuesday after the dog confronted a wild coyote that started to chase the little girl as she was out walking the family pet.
Home security footage captured the incident in Scarborough in Toronto, Canada, and shows Lily Kwan running from the coyote and seeking help. Her Yorkie, 6-year-old Macy, confronts the wild animal.
The coyote attacked the small dog and at one point had her in its mouth. Macy sustained injuries and was placed in an intensive care unit, but she is expected to make a full recovery.
The 10-year-old spoke to Canada's CTV News about the attack and her feelings about Macy's actions.
Lily Kwan said she saw the coyote while she was out walking Macy and had previously seen postings from neighbors warning about coyotes approaching children.
"And I thought, oh my gosh, what is going to happen, because the other day I saw Facebook postings of the same coyote chasing kids, biting one kid and I thought am I next, what is going to happen to me?" Lily said.
She ran from the coyote, screaming, and rang doorbells looking for help. The video shows Lily and Macy running from the animal down the street. She said she had to drop Macy's leash because the dog wouldn't follow her.
"I ran to the sidewalk and started screaming for help. No one heard me," she said, adding that she dropped her dog's leash in the process," she said.
At one point in the video, Macy turns and confronts the coyote, apparently in an effort to protect her owner. Yorkshire terriers are small dogs, usually weighing between four and seven pounds.
Coyotes are far larger than Yorkshire terriers, weighing between 15 and 44 pounds depending on sex. It's not clear whether the coyote in question was male or female.
While Macy did briefly end up in the coyote's mouth, a neighbor eventually came to the rescue and chased the animal away. The dog suffered eight large puncture wounds and had to have surgery. She is currently in an intensive care unit at a local vet.
The cost of veterinary care could be considerable. A GoFundMe campaign to pay for the bills has already raised $19,000, surpassing its $10,000 goal. The Canadian healthcare system does not cover treatment for pets.
"She's a super brave dog, I love her so much and I just thought this tiny dog could protect this huge human being trying to fight off this huge coyote," Lily said.
Lily's mother, Dorothy Kwan, was on her way to work when the incident took place. She told CTV News: "My dog would do anything for our family so I'm actually not surprised that she did that."
"I would never guess that a coyote would come out during the day and especially with someone screaming and yelling. It still was not fazed, it just kept coming after her and our dog, despite all the yelling. It was quite aggressive," Kwan said.
Dorothy Kwam told Newsweek via GoFundMe on Friday: "I'd like to extend my thanks to the various news media channels and the kindness and generosity received from friends, family and strangers for their support and prayers for Macy and Lily. My heart has been deeply touch."
Update 7/24/21 10.30 a.m. ET: This article was updated to include a response from Dorothy Kwam.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Darragh Roche is a U.S. News Reporter based in Limerick, Ireland. His focus is reporting on U.S. politics. He has ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
