Ronnie the Hero Dog Saved Family from Coyote Attack

Ronnie, a wire fox terrier who fought off a coyote to protect his family, has been honored as Hero Dog of the Year by spcaLA.

By Kathryn Hawkins. Posted on May 05 2010

Creative Commons image by Alicia Nijdam.

Ronnie, a wire fox terrier from Los Angeles, is generally a pretty mellow guy. But you don’t want to mess with his family.

That’s what a coyote discovered last August, when he jumped the Rossmoor family fence and charged at the owners, Janis and Eric Christensen, and their other dog, a Yorkie named Annie.

Instantly, Ronnie leapt in between the coyote and the others, ready to defend his family to the death. Although Ronnie was bitten by the coyote, the terrier fought back, and the coyote ran away.

Luckily, Ronnie made a full recovery, and now he’s been honored by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Los Angeles with the Hero Dog of the Year award. Along with a commemorative plaque, Ronne was given a year’s supply of dog food and a weekend getaway package with his family.

“This shows that treating your pet with love and respect can be returned by an amazing heroic act,” spcaLA President Madeline Bernstein told KTLA.

Filed under: Animals and Pets, Heroes,

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