Yorkie attacked, killed by coyote in St. Charles

ST. CHARLES, Ill. (WLS) -- A woman's pet Yorkie was attacked and killed by a coyote in west suburban St. Charles. She says it's alarming that coyotes are not afraid of people anymore and she fears children may be next.

On Saturday night, Diane Sturkey was going to walk her three dogs in St. Charles when a coyote went after one of them. The smallest dog, named Otto, went to protect her and paid gallantly with his life.

Sturkey held on tight to her white terrier Gracie, one of her dogs that survived the coyote attack. She says she was in her yard putting on leashes when she says they suddenly took off. She says that's when a coyote went after Gracie. Eight-year-old Otto went to her aid and the coyote carried Otto away.

"A great protector. For a dog that was only three-and-a-half pounds, he acted like he was one of the biggest dogs out there," Robert Sturkey said.

His body was found the next day by some boys fishing at a retention pond on the border between Geneva and St Charles. Police brought his green sweater to break the news to Sturkey.

"He was a great dog, lot of personality, and he just made you feel loved. He loved to cuddle, he loved to snuggle," Diane Sturkey said.

Sturkey says she believes the coyote who killed Otto had been stalking him for three days. They're now taking extra precautions when walking their surviving dogs.

"Now I walk around with a flashlight and we walk around with a whistle. And whenever we take the dogs for a walk, I walk around the perimeter of the house now to ensure that there's no coyotes around," Robert Sturkey said.

They buried Otto under a crab tree in front yard, her favorite place at their home. The Sturkeys contacted several agencies, and one told them they had to learn to live with the coyotes because they moved into their territory, even though the sturkeys have been living there for 22 years.