‘That’s When I Called 911’

An early Tuesday morning dog walk in Roxbury became an adrenaline rush for the local women. After the coyote catches up with her and chases away.

The heartbreaking chase took place at about 5:30 a.m. and Sue O’Connell, political commentator for NBC 10 Boston and NECN, called 911.

“I’m like a Road Runner,” she said in a phone interview. Describing her escape from her four-legged pursuers.

As usual, O’Connell took her dog Maude on Tuesday morning and set off down Marcella Street in Fort Hill toward the playground.

Looking at the baseball field adjacent to Marcella Playground, O’Connell saw an animal sticking out in the grass. when he thought it was a sleeping dog So she walked closer to take pictures. The animal stood up.

She took the picture and thought, “No, that’s not a dog,” O’Connell recalls. “That’s a coyote.”

The coyote immediately began to approach them.

“I’ve seen a lot of coyotes. And this is the bigger side. It was a bit clumsy,” O’Connell said.

Although the animal looked determined, O’Connell said she wasn’t too worried at first. Wolves can often be seen stalking the area. She and Maude were still some distance from the creature.

But then it started faster.

As O’Connell imagined the scenes From a horror movie, the 30-pound Maude wagged her tail happily and fearlessly. A wolf howl could often be heard outside her apartment at night, O’Connell said. with Maud always coming in through the window She compares them to

With the coyote about 15 feet away, O’Connell began to yell as she retreated through the wrought-iron gates that surrounded the playground and slammed the gates shut. The scream seemed to frighten the wolf, O’Connell and Maude rushed down the road. They were almost clear.

But then the animal jumped over the fence.

“That’s when I called 911,” O’Connell said.

After the car passed by The coyote was startled and fled.

throughout the encounter Everything seemed to be happening slowly, O’Connell recalls, usually holding a cane to fend off turkeys. But she didn’t carry a walking stick on Tuesday. No other neighbors came out for a walk.

“The upside and downside of living in the city is that you can get all over the place and no one cares,” she says. “I guess I can’t even imagine what a 911 call looks like.”

last summer Two coyote attacks were reported in Swampscott in the fall. A coyote mauled a dog in Cohassett to death. and twice came close to people and their pets in Hingham. In December, the Nahant Board of Selectmen voted to approve the deal with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Service. to allow agency agents to shoot and kill coyotes

When O’Connell went to work, she immediately told her co-workers. which uses a shocking confrontation with part news

She later spoke to MassWildlife, it turns out that O’Connell did the right thing. She made noise and waved her hands. closed crawling area Leave pets on a leash at all times. and frighten the coyote with loud noises, lights, or water jets.

“It’s a reminder that no matter how urban our environment is, We share the same space. and know when you’re away from home and respect those with whom we share space and know how you are It should be done especially this time of year when they’re out of babies,” she said. “Everyone is on guard.”

The Coyote didn’t scare O’Connell for too long. She and Maude returned to the playground later that afternoon.