Woman Attacked By Coyote While Walking Dog In Reading

READING (CBS) - Police officers have gone door-to-door in a Reading neighborhood, warning residents to keep their children and pets inside after a coyote attacked a woman Monday afternoon.

Jessica Jones is bandaged up, but in good spirits after fighting off the coyote that attacked her friend's dog.

"It was going after the dog. It wasn't attacking me, it wasn't attacking a human," Jones said.

It happened in her friend's yard along Avalon Road in Reading. Jones says she was steps from Roxy the golden doodle, untangling her leash when the coyote came out of nowhere and pounced. She didn't hesitate to fight back.

"I was standing right by the dog. I was untangling it. I turned around and sort of just hit the coyote in the face," Jones said.

As she went to grab Roxy, the coyote scratched up her arm, before running away. So instead of hopping on a flight home to the United Kingdom, Jones says she spent hours at the hospital instead.

Her friend Grace Tully says she's grateful for the rescue. "I couldn't even begin to tell you," Tully said. "The dog is my entire world."

Tully said this frightening incident proves something must be done about the coyotes in the neighborhood.

"To me, that indicates that they're becoming very acclimated to the area," Tully said. "It's time for the Reading Police and Animal Control departments to do something about that."

Jones says she had to get several rounds of rabies shots, but plans to be on a flight back to the UK Tuesday.