We frequently believe that our pets are safe in their yards, but this is not always the case, even if they are fenced in. A family in Huntington Beach, California, nearly lost one of their small dogs when a coyote scaled the fence in search of trouble. The coyote attempted to grab the pup and carry her away. Fortunately, the family’s larger dog did not allow this to happen. He charged at the wild animal, scaring it.

Thank goodness, everyone survived the incident, but the family is concerned that it will happen again. Because coyote sightings are on the rise, this story will hopefully raise awareness to keep more pets safe.

The coyote encounter was captured on video in Freddy and Melissa Patriarca’s backyard. The wild animal started jumping over a six-foot fence to get into the family’s yard. Then it rushed right at their unsupervised Boston Terrier named Sadie. The small, fearful dog screamed. That’s when her parents realized something was wrong.

The coyote snatched Sadie and tried to drag her along with him, but she resisted. As Sadie struggled in the predator’s jaws, the coyote became alarmed and fled. As the coyote fled, security camera footage showed Cody, a Labrador Retriever, chasing after it to save his sister. His family could not really believe it when they saw the video later!

“When I started hearing her scream, my heart broke,” Freddy said. “And realising that a coyote could simply jump the wall and take our loved one away.”

Sadie was given antibiotics after several days and returned to her usual self. She is lucky that her canine sibling was present to save her, because not all dogs are so fortunate.

Coyote appearances like this are becoming more common, and Melissa is concerned that their community is not taking enough precautions. The family has three dogs and five children, and they would be devastated if something were to happen to them.

“They’ve been coming around where I’ll be driving my kids to school, and I’ll see a coyote walking right in front of the school,” Melissa said. “And that’s very frightening.”

Patrick Taylor, a handyman who lives nearby, said the coyote att.ack surprised him. People want coyote preventative measures like coyote rollers, highly elevated fences, and chicken wire, so his organization has been booming.

The Patriarcas notified the city of the incident, but they have yet to receive a response. They hope that officials will consider taking additional measures to keep the community safe.

Watch the incredible security footage here: