Owner of dog that was attacked by coyote in New Jersey says animal control should be more readily available

MAPLEWOOD, N.J. — CBS New York on Sunday heard from the family of a teenager who, along with her dog, was bitten by an aggressive coyote.

The attack in Maplewood also injured another person.

A picture was taken Friday afternoon in the South Mountain Reservation just before Luna, a 1-year-old Maltese-Shih Tzu mix, was attacked by a coyote, but survived. Her owner, 18-year-old Giselle Romero, didn’t wish to appear on camera.

“It was like a miracle because she survived that. She’s like a baby and she’s really small,” Romero said.

READ MORE: South Mountain Reservation dog park remains closed after coyote attack

The attack left little Luna, just days shy of her second birthday, with a missing eye and stitches. She was being carried by Romero’s cousin, 13-year-old Adriadne Porras, who was also bitten. The teenager is now recovering with stitches on her leg. She is also undergoing rabies treatment.

“When it attacked her, she fell on the floor and then, obviously, the dog fell from her arm and then the coyote attacked her and then I was trying to get it from her, but then it like chased me, so I ran away from it,” Romero said.

Romero said the girls were next to the South Mountain dog park. Given the park’s proximity to the woods, Romero said she wants to see more readily available animal control.

“There should be more people, like more precautions. Like, there weren’t signs or anything. I just called 911 and I just waited. There should’ve been closer resources,” Romero said.

The teenager and her dog weren’t the only ones bitten on Friday. Officials said another person was attacked in a separate incident. Essex County closed the dog park and a section of the over 2,100-acre South Mountain Reservation through Thursday. Romero said her family set up a GoFundMe page to help pay for Luna’s lengthy recovery.

“I’m lucky that my cousin is okay and my dog is gonna make it out okay. I would not ever want this to happen to someone else,” Romero said.

Wildlife officials are still searching for that coyote, and plan to euthanize it.

The Department of Environmental Protection says coyotes are common throughout New Jersey, but added attacks on humans are extremely rare.

Officials recommend making loud noises, throwing rocks, or spraying water to scare coyotes away.