Labrador Retriever Scares Away Coyote to Save Boston Terrier from Attack in California Backyard

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A Boston terrier named Sadie is alive today because her brother, Cody, a Labrador retriever, scared off the coyote that attacked the small dog.

According to ABC7, the wild animal recently jumped over a six-foot wall surrounding the home of Melissa and Freddy Patriarca in Huntington Beach, California, and landed in the couple's backyard. The Patriarcas' surveillance camera captured the coyote running towards their Boston terrier Sadie — who was outside at the time — and grabbing the pet violently by the neck with its jaws.

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The footage shows the coyote shaking a helpless Sadie while the little dog screeches in pain. Luckily, Cody, the Patriarcas' Labrador retriever, heard his sibling dog's screams and took action by scaring the coyote, causing the predator to drop the terrier from its mouth.

"My heart was breaking when I heard her scream," Freddy, a pet parent to both canines, told ABC7. "And just knowing that a wild animal like a coyote could just jump the wall so easily, and almost take our loved one away."

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After the attack, Sadie's owners took her to a vet, where her bite wounds were treated with antibiotics. The dog's family said that Sadie fully recovered a few days after the terrifying incident.

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The Patriarca family told ABC7 that they have recently experienced an uptick in wildlife encounters around the neighborhood and want city officials to take action to protect Orange County pets and children from animal attacks.

In April, a young girl was seriously injured after being attacked by a coyote near Huntington Beach Pier.

"Coyotes are walking down the streets in the daytime now," Melissa shared. "I mean, I've seen them by kids' schools. It's unsafe."