While much of California braced for triple-digit heat waves and devastating wildfires, a coyote decided the time was right to sneak into a Simi Valley home and try to eat a Chihuahua.
On Monday just before noon, according to the Simi Valley Police Department, a resident in the 500 block of Shadow Lane was in the bathroom when he heard an unusual commotion downstairs.
When he reached the kitchen, he was startled to find a coyote had squeezed in through the dog door and was viciously attacking his pet Chihuahua.
What ensued was a discombobulating brawl. The owner tried to scare off the coyote, and when those attempts went south, he armed himself with a kitchen knife and stabbed the animal several times. He then cornered the coyote in a downstairs bathroom, where he managed to stab the predator a few more times until it was dead.
“He continued to try and ward off the coyote making advances on the Chihuahua — and stabbed the coyote until it was unresponsive,” Simi Valley Police Sgt. Bryan Samples said.
“Animal control arrived on scene,” Samples added, “and recovered this deceased coyote.”
The man was rushed to the emergency room for multiple, significant bite wounds to his hands and wrists, and a neighbor took the Chihuahua to a local veterinarian. Both man and pup are expected to recover.
Police noted that coyote attacks aren’t common in this part of town, although the neighborhood does back onto Long Canyon Trailhead, which connects to the Woodridge Open Space trail system. This expansive park area is known for sweeping meadows, large oak groves and many scenic views of the Simi Hills and Santa Susana Mountains.