California woman says coyote took her dog

Police in a San Francisco Bay Area city are encouraging residents to accompany their pets after a woman reported seeing a coyote make off with her small dog.

Pacifica police Capt. Joe Spanheimer says the woman was watching the dog from her kitchen window early Wednesday morning when she saw the coyote hop a fence and take it. She had let the dog out into her backyard, which was fenced in.

The woman lives near open space.

Pacifica police say pet owners should take precautions, including trimming shrubbery so it doesn’t provide cover for wildlife and eliminating all sources of water around their homes.

Pets should also be accompanied while outside.