One Man and His Ten Dogs Meet A Pack of Coyotes While Hiking Alone

Continue reading for our analysis...

The first National Conservation Area in Nevada is named Red Rock Canyon. 17 miles west of the Las Vegas Strip, on Charleston Boulevard/State Route 159, is where you’ll find Red Rock Canyon. Upwards of two million individuals visit the area annually. 

Red Rock offers attractions of a different kind, such as a 13-mile scenic drive, acres of hiking trails, rock climbing, horseback riding, mountain biking, road biking, and more, in stark contrast to a town focused on entertainment and gaming.

A man named Barry has a heart for animals. In fact, he loves them so much that he owns 10 large dogs. Barry and his pups go on daily hikes to exercise and spend time in the beautiful outdoors. 

During one of their hikes in Red Rock Canyon, they had to face the unthinkable. Barry told KTNV 13 Las Vegas that he was no more than 50 yards from the car when a large pack of coyotes surrounded him and his dogs. 

Coyotes are known to attack smaller pets, such as cats, small dog breeds, or animals with mobility issues. Thankfully, Barry and his pups are in excellent health and we’re able to act wisely in the terrifying moments surrounded by the wild animals. 

The coyotes were able to snatch two of the small dogs and began ripping them to shreds. Within seconds, the larger canines reacted, taking back their smaller siblings and attacking and killing at least one of the coyotes. 

As soon as the coyotes ran off, Barry sprang into action toward the injured dogs. He wrapped a bandage around one and got everyone back in the car to head straight to the emergency vet. 

Is A Pack of Ten Coyotes Normal?

Typically, a pack includes 3-7 grown-up coyotes and 2-7 pups. However, in certain cases, residents have observed packs with up to 21 members, and in urban or suburban areas, there’s a consistent report of 7 puppies per pack. The variations in coyote numbers are influenced by the availability of food.

Holding Onto Hope

The little pups were in surgery for over 12 hours. Waiting for the surgery to end filled the selfless dog owner with anxiety. Eventually, the surgeon gave him a call and told him his puppies were ready to come home and everything went well! Little did Barry know, wrapping them in the bandage saved their life. 

The top comment on the news broadcast reads, “No one is mentioning that this man was more concerned about his dogs than himself at that moment. He deserves an award for that, that alone deserves our respect.” We couldn’t agree more. 

Barry is a great example of a loving and caring pet owner. His focus during the attack was to save his dogs. He put his life in danger to ensure all 10 of his furry friends made it out of the situation alive. Though A to Z Animals hopes no one is ever in a similar situation, we could all be a little more like Barry.

We’ve included links to coyote vests for cats and dogs as well, to ensure your pets stay safe! 

What to do if a Coyote Threatens

The first thing you should do if you see a coyote is not to panic. Keep your eyes on the animal and back away without making eye contact. If it approaches you and your pet assume it intends to attack. Then, you can make eye contact and shout, throw objects, wave your arms, and let the animal know that attacking you and your pet won’t be easy. If you know that coyotes have invaded your neighborhood, or if you take your pets for a walk where they could be – we recommend coyote vests to provide protection. The vests may not stop a coyote if your pet is alone – but if you are with it the vest will most certainly buy you enough time to run the coyote off and hopefully save your pet.