Rare black coyote has people watching their pets more closely

COBB COUNTY, Ga - A small dog was grabbed by a coyote; not just any coyote, a rare black coyote. It's been roaming around neighborhoods in the Vinings area since late December playing with neighborhood dogs.

"He was actually playing with my lab. who is a teeny bit bigger than the coyote," said a woman named Vickie.

Vickie also has a 12-pound Dachshund named Lexi. One week after she first saw the coyote, Lexi was in her front yard and the coyote swooped in and grabbed the pup.

"Picked up Lexi, had her in his mouth for just a minute, right here on the back," said Vickie.

Lexi had to have surgery. She now has 10 staples in her back.

The coyote shows up in the neighborhood at about the same time every day, usually around dusk. It doesn't seem to be afraid of much. Vickie says a couple of times the wild animal has event spent the night on a neighbor's porch.

"There's a neighbor with a doggy door to her screened-in porch and he has come in a couple of nights and slept on the sofa on the screened-in porch," said Vickie.

Vickie believes the animal is hanging around because people are feeding him.

"I'm not sure what to do except get the word out and have people stop feeding him," said Vickie.

Neighbors say the coyote follows people out walking their dogs. Margaret Dozier says she has enjoyed getting a glimpse of the rare black coyote, but say it's time for him to move on.

"He's beautiful, but he's becoming a nuisance and you want the outcome to be a good one," said Dozier.

The plan for the past month or so has been to trap the coyote and take it to the Yellow River Wildlife Sanctuary. It's just a matter of catching the coyote.