Campton Hills warns of aggressive coyotes

Campton Hills officials are warning residents to be extra careful after a coyote attacked a dog earlier in the week.

Village President Patsy Smith sent out an e-mail alert to residents noting the attack in the Fox Mill subdivision as well as other attacks on larger dogs last winter.

“I just want people to be aware that this is a problem in our area, especially this time of year and people should be cautious,” said Smith, noting that February is mating season for coyotes and females can become extra aggressive when looking for food.

Residents should not let their dogs out — leashed or otherwise — unattended and report coyote den sightings to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

Coco, a 5-year-old cross between a Yorkshire terrier and a poodle, is recovering from surgery after she was attacked at about 8:30 p.m. Monday in the 3N800 block of Ralph Waldo Emerson Lane.

The owner, Chris Theodore, said the family had returned from a basketball game and his son let the dog out to do its business. When the dog didn’t return 10 minutes later, the family went looking for her and found her mangled and clinging to life in a conservation area near their backyard.

Theodore credited the staff at Emergency Veterinary Services of St. Charles for performing surgery to save the 8-pound dog, which had more than 20 puncture wounds, a collapsed lung and three missing ribs.

In addition to injuries to Coco, the attack was traumatic for Theodore’s family, including his 14-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter.

“If and when Coco comes back, it’s going to be a long road to recovery for her,” Theodore said. “It’s scary because it can happen to anybody. You see them (the coyotes) all the time. They’re getting more aggressive and getting closer and closer to food sources. It can happen in a split second.”

Campton Hills Police Chief Daniel Hoffman said the department doesn’t have figures on coyote attacks in the village, and that even if it did the numbers wouldn’t be accurate because residents don’t report every attack.

“There are a lot of coyotes out here,” Hoffman said. “It’s not just small dogs. If you get a pack of coyotes, they could attack a good-sized dog.”