A 10-pound elderly dog is a hero after rescuing its doggy sibling during a coyote attack.
While many animals are cute and cuddly, there are some where avoidance is the best course of action. There are animals that can and do pose a threat to humans and other members of the animal kingdom. Tangling with the wrong creature could result in a nasty bite, a deep, painful scratch or even worse.
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One family in Southern California knows how badly and quickly some animals can hurt others. According to the Sacramento Bee, Harley, Erin and David Macaluso's 12-pound Maltese and Yorkshire terrier was attacked by a coyote in the backyard of their Mission Viejo, California, home.
The frightening incident happened on the evening of May 1 and Erin posted footage of the attack on Facebook. In the black and white clip, a coyote can be seen hopping over their fence, into their yard when Harley runs out into the yard.
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Seconds later, Harley sprints out into the yard and is followed by the coyote. The two animals disappear off the frame. Then Harley is heard yelling painfully.
Luckily for Harley, help was on the way!
11-year-old Vinny is a “Hero in Fur Suit”
After hearing Harley’s painful screams, Vinny, an 11-year-old Maltese, got to work. Vinny, in the video, can be seen running in the direction of Harley and his coyote attacker. Vinny, who only has three teeth, manages to successfully chase off the wild animal, freeing Harley from the coyote's clutches, according to Fox 11.
Erin admits they weren't even sure what had transpired as they ran to get Harley medical attention.
“We just scooped him up and went to the emergency vet,” said Erin. “We didn’t even realize what happened until after, we were sitting in the lobby of the emergency vet and rolled our camera footage back.”
While Harley suffered severe injuries because of the coyote attack, the animal is expected to make a full recovery, according to Erin. Thank God Vinny was there, or things could have had a very different outcome.
Erin, on Facebook, referred to Vinny as a "hero in a fur suit."
What a perfect way to describe a fearless animal that put its safety at risk to help his doggy sibling! A few extra doggy treats and head scratches are in order.
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"And God created great whales, and every living creature that moves, which the water brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good." – Genesis 1:21
WATCH: Elderly, 10-Pound Dog Rescues Doggy Sibling From Coyote
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h/t: Fox 11 Los Angeles, Facebook.com/Erin.Maculuoso, Sacramento Bee
Featured Image Credit: YouTube.com/Fox 11 Los Angeles