LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — It was a close call for one Summerlin resident and her pets when something unexpected showed up in their backyard.
Jackie Valiente says she’s seen coyotes in this neighborhood before — but this one came a little too close for comfort.
She says she was asleep on her couch Thursday when her dogs suddenly woke her up.
"I was watching the Golden Knights game, and the sound I kept replaying in my head was the roaring sound of a panther," Valiente recalled.
Half-asleep, Valiente walked about 100 feet from her living room to her sliding glass door to see what was amiss.
Outside in her backyard, she saw her three dogs fighting to keep a coyote off their property — the intruder much larger than Valiente's dynamic dog trio.
Valiente says the whole ordeal lasted only about a minute-and-a-half, but it was terrifying for her. Once she got her pets back inside, they had to double-check that their home was safe.
"As I'm bringing them inside and I'm thinking we're safe, they run out the dog run and we're back at it again!" she said.
Officials with the Nevada Department of Wildlife tell Channel 13 this is not a new phenomenon. This time of year, coyotes are hungry and on the prowl — sometimes targeting small animals.
"Coyotes don't know the difference between Bill's dog or Mary's cat, they just see potential food, and that's what they're going after,"
For Valiente and her pals, a sleepless night is all they lost. But this weekend, Valiente says she'll make sure the dog door is closed at night.
"It was intense and scary, and I'm so glad all three of them are safe now," she said.
Other residents in the area told Channel 13 they've seen packs of coyotes in their neighborhood just this past week.
