"It was about a quarter after five, and one of them just didn't come back," said Ken Bawol, of Millcreek Township.

Bawol describes finding out their pet dog, Sophie, had been attacked by a coyote Tuesday morning.

"She was a really nice dog, real friendly, she probably thought the coyote was another dog and approached it," explained Bawol.

He had let their three small dogs out back in the morning, when Sophie, their 5-year-old King Charles Cavalier, didn't return home.

"She usually lingers a little around outside, so it didn't seem unusual. But then a little more time went by and I started looking for her and that's when I found her," said Bawol.

After speaking with Millcreek Township Police, they say this is an active time for coyotes to prey on small animals. They were able identify a coyote as Sophie's attacker because the bite on her neck was consistent with how coyotes hunt their prey. 

"The biggest thing this time of year in January, is their food source isn't real plentiful so they get aggressive," explained Officer Tim Stevenson, Animal Enforcement for Millcreek Township Police.

Coyotes in our area can be as big as 45- 55 pounds. Around Millcreek Township, there are three known dens which can inhabit 5-7 pups each.

The one near Asbury Woods has been the cause of two attacks, Sophie and a 15-pound dog named Crosby back in May. The other two dens are near the property of the Millcreek Learning Center and in the Frontier area as well.

Officer Tim Stevenson said if a coyote attack does occur, it typically happens at night, because they're nocturnal.

"If it's dark, early morning hours go out with them," advised Stevenson.

But he also adds, coyotes are typically scared of humans.

"Well the best thing to do is yell, scream, bang stuff together, cause usually when they see you they're going to flee," he explained.

And although coyote attacks on humans aren't frequent, Bawol worries about coyotes mistaking small children as animals.

"You know, they are trying to survive. They're going to do anything they can to get something to eat. That's the way it is," said Bawol.

If you do see a coyote on or near your property call Millcreek Police.