Nanny saves child from coyote’s jaws, and other strange stories of human, animal conflicts

Seattle isn’t the only city with aggressive animals. Strange stories from across the country have accumulated over the past few years to paint a vivid picture of the growing conflict between humans and urban wildlife.

In April, a hawk in Boston’s Fenway Park swooped on a teenage girl and scratched her scalp with his talons, causing her to bleed.

A Florida woman was walking her dog in March when a bobcat approached, grabbed the pet in his mouth and retreated to the nearby woods. The woman has not seen her dog, a Maltese named Bogie, since.

In November in Clintonville, Ohio, a deer stabbed a dog with his antlers in at least five places on the dog’s side, chest and face. The dog, a Doberman, suffered a ruptured diaphragm and stomach, but survived.

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Driver kills dog, then sues owners for damage

The driver of a 1997 Honda Civic that struck and killed a dog near Cloquet is suing the dog’s owners for damage done to his vehicle.

Jeffery Ely was driving on the night of Jan. 4 when Fester, a miniature pinscher, squeezed past owner Nikki Munthe as she was letting in her other dog and ran out onto the road. Ely’s car struck Fester, killing the 13-pound dog instantly.

Now Ely is suing the Munthes for about $1,100 for damage to his car, time he had to take off from his two jobs to get the car repaired, and court fees.

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Watching pets pays

On days when Melanie Lehman can’t come home from work for lunch, she’s comforted to know pet sitter Deb Oerman will be at her Mount Wolf house to take care of Thunder, a 12-year-old Doberman.

Oerman, a York resident who also raises seeing-eye puppies, works part-time as an independent contractor for Pets Plus LLC. The company provides care for dogs, cats, birds, fish, reptiles other small animals and farm animals, including horses.

“Most pets are pretty glad to see us,” Oerman said. She also said she enjoys caring for pets and the income she gets for doing the work.

“I’m really glad this can be an option for me.”

So is Lehman.

“It makes me feel a lot better,” Lehman said. “The cost is reasonable, especially for the peace of mind.”

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