Hungry coyotes damage Chicago-area home

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RIVERSIDE, Calif., Jan. 26 (UPI) -- A suburban Chicago man said bedlam broke lose early Friday when a pack of coyotes went after his pet beagle during a pre-dawn outing in his back yard.

The coyotes busted up the storm door and wooden back door in their efforts to get at the hapless beagle named Snoopy.

Roger Nelson told WGN-TV, Chicago he had let his three dogs out into the yard of his Riverside home around 1:20 a.m. CST. Two returned without incident but Snoopy brought up the rear with four coyotes in hot pursuit.

"(They) broke the glass on the screen door, and then they broke two panels on the actual wood door into the house," an amazed Nelson told WGN.

Nelson called police but the canine raiders were long gone when officers arrived.

Riverside has become a hotbed of coyote activity in the Chicago area, the Chicago Tribune said.

Police figured the nocturnal prowlers probably figured Snoopy would make a fine late-night snack. "Coyotes do not know the difference between pets and the wild creatures they hunt, so try to protect pets by accompanying them outdoors," Police Chief Thomas Weitzel said in a written statement. "Most importantly, use caution near any wild animal."