83-year-old Winnipeg man saves small dog from coyote
A Winnipeg man sprung into action to save his dog after it was attacked by a coyote in the evening earlier this week.
Late Tuesday night, Cliff Reykdal was getting ready for bed, letting his small dog Nala, a shih tzu-yorkie mix, out to do her business, a regular routine for the 83-year-old and his 10-year-old dog.
Usually, Reykdal will let ten-pound Nala out for five minutes while he relaxes on his chesterfield.
This time, however, while standing at the door, Reykdal spotted a pack of four coyotes approaching Nala. Then one of the coyotes grabbed Nala in its mouth and ran off.
"One has come down the street but never a pack of four," said Reykdal, who has lived with his wife in his Nottingham Avenue home for 43 years.
Reykdal reacted immediately and, despite only wearing boxer shorts and a pair of socks, took chase.
"I wasn't thinking of that," said Reykdal, admitting his outfit wasn't exactly normal for running down the street at almost midnight. "I was thinking about getting my dog back before they got away with her."
Despite the dark of night, Nala's blond fur let Reykdal track the group of coyotes as he ran after them, the one holding Nala in its mouth eventually breaking from the pack.
"I thought she was gone for good," he said, "I'm 83, I can't outrun a coyote."
Fortunately, Reykdal didn't need to. When the coyote ran across the street, Reykdal picked up a large rock (about eight ounces in weight, he said) and heaved it towards the animal.
That's when the coyote dropped Nala and backed off, letting Reykdal scoop the pup up and bring her back to the safety of home.
"After I brought her in the house the coyotes were staying in the yard," said Reykdal, "Then they eventually moved on because supper was gone."
It was then that Reykdal's wife noticed Nala was bleeding, prompting a late-night trip to the veterinarian.
Nala is going to be fine, says Reykdal.
The incident, while harrowing, has turned Reykdal into a bit of a local celebrity.
"Maybe I’m going to Hollywood next, be in a movie or something," he joked.
"It’s over with and the dog is safe, that's all I want."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.