OCONEE COUNTY, GA (CBS ATLANTA) -
A coyote attacked and killed a family's pet, and now neighbors are on edge after the wild animal made another surprise appearance - this time at the neighborhood pool.
It happened Wednesday afternoon on Solitaire Court in the Belfair subdivision in Bogart.
Neighbors say the wild animal popped his head out of a tree line near the subdivision entrance, and after the attack on Monday, they aren't taking any chances.
Tina Newland watches the neighborhood kids play in the water, but she's also watching out for a coyote that's been wandering the area attacking small animals.
"We have a little dog, he usually goes out on his own with an electric fence," said Newland. "But since this has happened, we put him on a leash and go out with him."
On Monday, a Chihuahua named Sassy was attacked by the wild coyote - her owner called 911 when she found the injured dog.
"I walked out on my front porch to find my Chihuahua walking up and she looked a little skittish and I thought, what's going on?" said Amy Baughcum, the dog's owner. "And I looked and her feet had blood on them, and we looked on her side and she had a big open wound."
Baughcum now keeps her other dogs in an enclosed pen. She doesn't want her other dogs to be attacked next.
"I am severely broken up," said Baughcum
Baughcum's neighbor also spotted the coyote after it cornered a neighborhood cat - she worries about her neighbor's animals too.
"I can hear them at night, but I never knew that they were in my backyard. It's pretty scary," said Baughcum.
Officials warn people to be aware of their surroundings and be coyote conscious; keep your pets indoors, but if you can't do that, make sure they're in a kennel or an enclosed area. They also warn people not to approach the coyote - officials worry the animal might be injured.
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