BRAINTREE, MASS. (WHDH) - A Braintree woman is recovering after she says she was attacked by a coyote while walking her dog on Saturday.
“It all happened very quick,” Jean France said. “It was definitely a puppy or a full grown, it was definitely in the middle.”
France said she was walking her dog in the area of Pond Street late Saturday morning when the animal approached and then attacked.
“We saw a baby coyote or a fox, I’m really not sure, lying on its side,” France said. “When it saw us, it got up and I saw it was limping and it dashed toward us and I picked up my dog and it latched onto my left ankle.”
France said she was able to kick the animal off and run to safety.
“It was latched on for about 45 seconds,” France said. “I had to kick it off of me about five times before it fell off of my ankle.”
Once inside her condominium complex, someone noticed she was hurt and called 911.
Police officers and animal control authorities raced to the scene. France then went to the hospital and is recovering at home.
“I have a deep laceration to my left ankle and I have a soft cast,” France said.
The victim said she has heard coyotes in the area before and is warning other people about her encounter.
“I have heard them in the past howling,” France said. “There are a lot of children here at this condo.”
After her experience, France is asking everyone to be aware of their surroundings.
“Just to be careful with their children and other small animals walking around,” France said.
France said she is receiving a series of rabies shots as a precaution.
Animal control authorities have not confirmed the attack.
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