Woman's Dog Attacked at Nature Preserve Possibly by Coyote

On May 18, a Bath woman was walking her dog in the when it was bitten by an "unattended animal," said Parks Director Michael Rorar.

The woman's dog was on a leash and trailing behind her while she talked on a cell phone. The woman heard her dog yelp and turned around to see what looked like another dog in the area. Her dog was only bit once, Rorar said.

The woman picked up her dog and the animal followed for a while until it ran off, he said.

Rorar has alerted the and state wildlife agencies, who are both on the lookout for the animal. People from the Parks Department patrol the area of the path daily.

"We don't know if it was a coyote or not," Rorar said. "We recommend keeping your dog on a 6- to 8-foot leash."

State officials said the woman's account of the incident doesn't match the personality of a coyote unless there is a den nearby and it was protecting its pups.

"There are thousands of people on the preserve every day and we've had thousands of loose dogs run around there too," Rorar said. "Humans are more feared by the coyotes than dogs."

Rorar provide more information when it becomes available.