Massachusetts

Rabid Coyote Attacks 2 People in North Attleboro, Massachusetts

Police say they were forced to shoot and kill a rabid coyote after it attacked two people in North Attleboro, Massachusetts earlier this week.

Judy Place, of North Attleboro, said she called police Monday night after she heard the animal trying to get under her house. Place said the animal bit her leg after she went outside to show police where it was hiding.

The coyote also bit a second person, according to the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife.

North Attleboro Police Capt. Joseph DiRenzo said officers used their stun guns, and then resorted to firing a warning shot. Place said she ran inside after the animal finally released her.

DiRenzo tells The Sun Chronicle police killed the animal after it started going after another officer.

Place suffered puncture wounds to her leg.

Test results from the state Department of Public Health confirmed that the coyote was rabid.

MassWildlife is urging the public to report any unusual animal behavior to local authorities and avoid contact with coyotes.

Attacks by coyotes on people are rare in Massachusetts. The North Attleboro attacks are at the eighth and ninth documented attacks on people by coyotes since the 1950s. The last coyote attack on a person was two years ago in Kingston.

For tips on avoiding coyotes, check out MassWildlife's Living With Coyotes Fact Sheet.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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