UGH! I hate living in the 'country' (if you can even call it that) with 2 small dogs.
Last summer, a hawk targeted my boys and we got them inside in the nick of time before it swooped down. But last night was the WORST!!!!!
About 11pm, I let my boys out in the yard to go potty before bed. Although the yard is mostly fenced in, there is 1 area that is not, so I always walk out there with them. They ran to the one area not fenced in and then ran off to the other end of the yard. The area not fenced in is SUPER dark so I can't see anything but last night I heard something moving right beside me up on the wall and I could hear it breathing. I tried not to panic and got my boys inside the house safely. That area of the yard is near my bedroom window, maybe 3 feet below the window, that's it. I told my fiance that something was there and he said probably the neighbors cat. I said I didn't think so, it was bigger and I could hear it breathing, I was only about 7 feet from it. He didn't know so I went into our room into the master bathroom to brush my teeth. From right on the other side of the window right on the wall that overlooks the backyard, 7 feet from where I was standing minutes earlier, I hear BARK BARK HOOOWWWWLLLLLLLLLLL, BARK BARK HOOOOWWWWLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!! OMG.... A coyote!!! literally feet away from me and my boys. Now I would have fought like a tiger, a mama bear to protect my boys.... but it could have been faster than me.... it could have HURT me and it could have just TAKEN my boys!!!!!
I feel sooooo grateful and relieved that they are here still, but OMG, soooo scared about a next time.
I'm a wreck thinking about what could have been and making new 'letting the boys out in the dark protocol procedures'. From now on, no one lets them out when they are alone. 2 people at all times. Also 1 person has to go out there and make sure there is nothing around, make noise and scare anything off. Fiance will install a spot light hopefully this weekend to illuminate that dark area and we are now talking about a fence.
Last night COULD have been a disaster of the worst kind for me.