Sparky the “extremely scared” precious poodle was recovering Monday after almost dying in the jaws of a hungry coyote in Lake Forest.
Orange County Fire Authority firefighters rescued the dog who ran into a storm drain after a coyote encounter in Lake Forest, authorities said.
The incident began at about 6:30 a.m. Saturday when a man out walking saw a coyote dragging his neighbor’s poodle by the neck at Paseo Sombra and Paseo Cipres, said OCFA Capt. Steve Concialdi.
“The neighbor ran at it (the coyote) and yelled, and the coyote dropped the dog and ran away,” Concialdi said. The poodle weighed about 18 pounds and is named Sparky.
“Sparky ran into a storm drain extremely scared,” the captain said.
A crowd gathered at the storm drain but no one could go inside to get Sparky because “there’s toxic gases down there and it’s not safe for people,” Concialdi said.
The OCFA was called to the scene at about 9 a.m. and dispatched 25 firefighters, including a hazardous materials team and two Urban Search and Rescue experts, he said.
Following strict procedures, the rescuers entered the storm drain and removed Sparky, Concialdi said. He was taken to a veterinarian for a check-up and was expected to be fine.
Sparky encountered the coyote after he “somehow got out,” the captain said. His owner is thankful to the neighbor who stopped the coyote attack.
— From Staff and Wire Reports