Westchester Police Warns Dog Walkers After Coyote Attacks Woman

What to Know

  • Police investigating reports of a coyote sighting in Ossining on Thursday morning found the sick animal and were able to put it down.
  • It comes after a woman was attacked by a coyote while walking her dog earlier this week.
  • The euthanized animal will be tested for rabies at the Westchester Department of Health.

A Westchester County police department is warning homeowners to stay alert while walking near the woods after a coyote attacked a woman.

Police investigating reports of a coyote sighting in Ossining on Thursday morning found the sick animal and were able to put it down.

"It's never a happy day when we have to destroy an animal but in rare instances it is necessary for the health and safety of our residents," the department said in a Facebook post. "It's a responsibility we take seriously."

The animal was then taken to the Westchester County Health Department for testing. 

It's not clear whether the animal was rabid, but on Monday the department warned dog walkers about at least two sightings of aggressive coyotes in the area since Monday. 

In one instance, homeowner Lorraine McCuen said she was walking her dog when a coyote appeared and bit her repeatedly. She scooped up her dog and ran off. 

"I wake up in the night thinking about it," she said. "It's something I'll never forget."

McCuen a dozen stitches and a course of rabies shots after the encounter.

Rabid animal sightings in the tri-state have been somewhat commonplace in recent years, with reports of wild, feral and domestic animals contracting the disease. 

According to the Humane Society, rabid animals can display a range of symptoms including foaming at the mouth, aggression and disoriented behavior.

In coyotes, activity during the day can be an indicator of the deadly zoonotic virus as the species is typically nocturnal.

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