Braintree

Woman Bitten by Wild Animal While Walking Dog in Braintree

Jean France is receiving treatment for rabies as a precaution after being bitten on her left ankle by either a fox or a coyote

A Massachusetts woman is recovering after being bitten by a wild animal about a month after a 16-year-old girl in a nearby town was bitten by a coyote.

Braintree resident Jean France says she was walking her Yorkie around her Pond Street condominium Saturday afternoon when she saw what looked like a young coyote pup. France said the animal attacked her, leaving a deep cut above her left heel.

She was taken to an area hospital and is receiving a painful series of rabies shots as a precaution.

Many people who walk their dogs in the area were somewhat surprised an animal like that would be in such a residential setting.

"That's pretty crazy. There's wild animals around here obviously but not animals that typically bite around here in the past, so we're on the watch out recently with that," said Carl Kinsella of Braintree.

"This area's kind of quiet but this is the first time ever I hear about something like that," added Mohamed Moursy, who works nearby. "Yeah. It shouldn't be happening at all."

Others say there's been so much development in the area that wild animals like coyotes are being forced into residential areas in search of food and shelter.

"They're everywhere nowadays, they've got to start weeding them out," said dog owner Jason Curran.

In early March, a teenage girl from Norwell received minor injuries after being bitten by a coyote outside her home. The animal ran into the woods and police had said they could not locate it.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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