Coyote Kills Small Dog in Tinley Park

"Chico" never needed to be on a leash. The 13-year-old canine listened well to her owners, and stayed close in their yard near Oak Forest Avenue and Ridgeland Avenue. 

There was little the Hill family could do, though, when a coyote snatched Chico from an alley near their home Friday night. The coyote—or what the Hill family believes might have been a rare coywolf—dropped the dog as neighbors attempted to chase it away.

It was too late for Chico, the Hill family said. 

"Chico was a loyal family member for 13 years and a wonderful dog," they told Patch. "She will be sorely missed."

On Saturday the family spotted a similar animal near 174th and Ridgeland, and came within 30 feet of it before the animal took off. Then Sunday afternoon, caught another glimpse of the animal in the same area.

"I could not believe that it was not even dusk yet and this guy was running through the neighbors' lawns like he owned the town," Linzee Hill wrote Patch. 

Hill warned neighbors and those in the area to keep a close eye on small pets, and check the yard before letting one outside.

Have coyotes bothered you or your pets? Where have you spotted them? Tell us in the comments.