A pack of coyotes sent a woman scrambling up a tree over the weekend in Saugus, Massachusetts.
“Hello! There’s coyotes up here.”
A Melrose woman called 911 Saturday morning -- reporting that a pack of three or four coyotes had surrounded her and her eight-year-old black Labrador Abby while they were out for a walk in Saugus’ Breakheart Reservation.
Dispatcher: “911 this line’s recorded, where’s your emergency?”
Caller: “Hi, I’m in a - stuck in a tree at Breakheart Reservation in Saugus. There’s coyotes.”
The woman snapped a photo from her vantage point up in the tree – with Abby looking up at her.
Caller: “I have one dog, she’s a lab, she’s on the ground right in front of the tree. There’s coyotes there.”
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Dispatcher: “I’m going to get somebody up there as quick as I can, but in the meantime I want you to obviously stay away from those as best you can.”
The woman was eventually able to get down from the tree and firefighters met her and her dog about a quarter of a mile down Ridge Trail and walked them out.
Deputy Saugus Fire Chief Thomas D’Eon said, “There were no injuries to the dog or her and our crew did not see any coyotes.”
The group Friends of Breakheart Reservation says coyotes are becoming more and more prevalent in the area.
Deputy Chief D’Eon said, “It’s a reservation, there’s wildlife in there, it’s teaming with wildlife, you have to be aware, be careful, take precautions, you’re in their habitat.”
Those who walk the reservation say after this incident, they’re definitely on alert.
Wendy Altshuler of Melrose said, “Very scary.”
Paul Strakus of Lynn said, “It’s crazy, you definitely have to pay attention whenever you’re in the woods and stuff, they live out here, this is their home.”
