A neighbor had to get rabies shots after intervening in a confrontation between a coyote and a 2-year-old in Haverhill, Massachusetts.
The incident happened Friday near the intersection of Broadway and Forest Street.
Katie Murphy says her young daughter, Remi, was face-to-face with the animal. Her husband, John, and their neighbor, Julio Delgado, stepped in to protect her.
Delgado told Telemundo Nueva Inglaterra that the young girl saw what she called a “beautiful doggy,” and he stepped in to protect her when the animal tried to attack her.
He said he’d do it all again.
Murphy said another neighbor ran inside with Remi while Delgado ran the other way. Her husband picked up a folding chair “just to deescalate the situation.”
Delgado was left with injuries to his hand, elbow and foot. He started a round of rabies shots.
Hours before, cellphone video shows the coyote in the neighborhood, going after a chair and a children’s basketball hoop.
“That’s common behavior for an animal that, unfortunately, has rabies,” said MassWildlife biologist Dave Wattles. “They will also attack people, dogs, other inanimate objects.”
Wattles says coyote bites are rare. Now, parents in the area are being careful.
“We’re just more vigilant of not letting the kids outside,” Murphy said.
Police say the coyote looked dead at first, but got up and took off. It was then hit by a car, got up again, and was hit by another car.
The animal got back up and kept going.
Officers searched the area with a drone, but never found the coyote. They believe it may be dead, but since that still hasn’t been confirmed, police are asking people nearby to remain vigilant.
“That could have ended so much worse than actually what happened,” Murphy said. “So we’re thankful.”
