Two Dalmatians named Deanna and Tasha reportedly defended their human companion against a pack of bold coyotes in Brighton, an area of Boston, early Wednesday. The dogs' handler, Josstin Lantadilla, was caught unaware of the predators' presence during their routine stroll near an apartment complex when the quieter of the two alerted him to the danger lurking just behind. "Deanna got very upset and she jumped backward and I said 'What's wrong with her?' When I watched in my back, there were four coyotes," Lantadilla told CBS News Boston.
With one coyote in the front "showing his mouth," as described by Lantadilla, the pack seemed poised to attack. The Dalmatians acted instinctively to protect, with Deanna taking a fierce stance."Deanna grabbed him from the side of the neck and shook his neck one time and I tried to kick him, I kicked him," Lantadilla recounted to CBS News Boston.
As for the dogs’ owner, Jane Freedlander, she unsurprisingly attributed their assertive behavior to their protective nature when she told WSVN, "Dalmatians are known as guard dogs." The response from the Dalmatians was so effective that all four coyotes scattered following their encounter.
The dogs and Lantadilla escaped without injury, and no police report was deemed necessary following the incident. In an interview with CBS News Boston, Freedlander also spoke about previous experiences where her dogs had been targeted by coyotes.
"Of course, they were meant for that," he said during his recounting of the night's harrowing events to CBS News Boston.
