A young stray dog who fended off a pack of coyotes in the front yard of a Brea home has found a forever home after he was brought to an Orange County Animal Care shelter.
The dog, whose 45-minute battle with at least five coyotes was captured in a now-viral video, has been given the name Duke, and officials say he was receiving training at the Tustin animal shelter.
The 1-year-old German shepherd/lab mix is described as a healthy, happy dog that officials said before his adoption could be an ideal companion and, of course, a good guard dog.
“Duke is a shy but friendly boy who loves hanging out with other dogs. Once he warms up, he enjoys doing zoomies, playing in the pool, and engaging with his handlers. Duke likes going on walks, receiving pets, and sitting for treats,” his former adoption listing read.
Video shared on OC Animal Care’s website showed Duke doing just that, playing with a smaller dog and splashing in a child pool at the animal shelter.
It’s a far cry from the first video in which he appeared that made national headlines.
Security footage shared with KTLA on Wednesday showed the moment Duke was circled by a pack of coyotes outside the home of Steve and Melissa Shatynski in the early hours of May 6.
Duke can be seen standing his ground and giving chase when the coyotes approach, but also retreating as necessary.
Wildlife expert Rebecca Dmytryk, director of Humane Wildlife Control, said the interaction captured in the home security footage was a prime example of canine communication in action.
“In the video, the dog is submissive going as far as [tucking] its tail and even sitting,” Dmytryk said in an email to KTLA. “This showed respect to the coyotes that were messaging it to stay away and to back down. It complied and the coyotes responded, leaving it alone.”
Dmytryk said the wild animals were displaying “coyote civility,” which involves messaging that includes an arched back, mouth agape or snapping in the air, which seems to be shown in the video. In some cases, the coyote warnings can lead to a bite if a dog, unlike Duke, doesn’t respect their request.
“This was not predatory in nature,” the coyote expert said. “A lot of people think coyotes prey on dogs, and they do not. Coyotes are not cannibals. They will, however, attempt to communicate with dogs on serious matters such as protecting a food resource or protecting their family, their pups.”
Officials say it’s currently breeding season in coyote world, and from March to May adult coyotes and their pups are out burrowing and looking for food sources like trash or small animals.
Conflicts with dogs, especially large ones like Duke, are something most coyotes would rather avoid.
“He knew how to protect himself, and fight them off and kind of back into a corner against that little area there where the dogs were racing and one kept going around, and he was able to fight them off unbelievably,” Melissa Shatynski said of the dog whose bravery made him an overnight sensation.
Officials from OC Animal Care say the video of Duke vs. the coyotes is a good reminder for pet owners to take extra precautions to protect their domesticated animals from wild ones.
Animal control officers advise residents not to leave pets unattended, particularly overnight or around dawn when coyotes are most active.
For more information about reducing human-coyote conflicts, visit the California Department of Fish and Wildlife website.
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