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Shakespeer, an 11-year-old Bichon Frise owned by John and Pattie Speer of Kechi, was severely wounded by a coyote near their house. Because of the serious injuries, the Speers had their pet euthanized. 


Family pet dies in coyote attack
By David Dinell
Last Updated: April 28, 2016

The Speer family of Kechi lost their much-loved family dog to a recent attack by a wild coyote.

Last week, they let the pet, 11-year-old Shakespeer, out in the back yard late at night to relieve himself. It's something they had done for years, so they thought nothing of it. However, they soon got a call from a neighbor saying that she could tell a dog was in distress. 

Shakespeer was still alive, but just barely. 

A coyote ripped into the 15-pound white Bichon Frise, puncturing his lungs, tearing his trachea and leaving other wounds on his body. 

"He was covered with blood," said John Speer, who owned the animal, along with his wife, Pattie.

Speer said the house looked like "a murder scene" with the spilled blood. 

They attempted to save him, but it was no use and the pet had to be euthanized by a vet. 

"It just stinks," he said. 

The hardest thing is the way he died, he said. 

"If he died of natural causes, I think we could have handled it better," he said.

The lot where the Speers live on the east side of Kechi backs up to a 40-acre field and water supply. Wildlife officials say this is the time of year for female coyotes to be especially active as many have just given birth to their pups. 

While the loss hurts, Speer said the coyote was doing what it does. 

"They're predatory animals," he said. 

Eventually, the couple plans to get a new dog, but they're still processing their loss. 

"Everyday we go into the house and wonder where that sweet little dog is who always greeted us," he said. 

While the Speers can't do anything now about their loss, they do want others to be aware of the danger of wild animals getting near domestic pets.

"I want people to know about this danger to our pets. We not only miss our  little guy so much, but my mind keeps replaying what he went through," wrote Pattie Speer on her Facebook page. 

They had an "invisible fence" around the property, but that wasn't enough to prevent the incident. 

Animal experts say the best prevention is to take your pet out on a leash and be there with it. They also say lighting is vital at night and to keep food or garbage properly secured so wild animals can't get to it. 

Kechi Police Chief John Blevins said his department was not involved in the case and in animal control situations, it calls on Sedgwick County, which is under contract to provide such services for the city.





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